307. Howard Co. in WWII

images: (A) Multiple Rocket Launcher, one of the many items manufactured by Globe Range Company during WWII. (B)Globe WWII Manufacturing - The items are possibly artillery casings. (C)Globe lifeboat production for the US Navy. (D)Globe lifeboats ready to ship off to war. (E)The first scrap rubber drive from Howard County. (F)WWI tanks being taken in at Continental Steel to be melted down to make products for WWII. (G)Lt. General William Kepner - member of the Howard County Hall of Legends and Howard County’s highest ranking WWII veteran. He flew 24 missions in fighter and bomber aircraft and was commander of the 8th Air Force 2nd Bomb Division and later the 9th Air Force. He had ratings in fighters, bombers, balloons, and airships. (H)At the Red Cross headquarters, volunteers rolled bandages for the war effort. (I)Haynes Stellite plant produced highly-durable turbocharger parts for warplanes and employed thousands of local women in that effort. (J)Reliance Dress Manufacturing's "Prosperity" plant in Kokomo made uniforms and parachutes. Howard County sent over 6,000 of its sons and daughters to fight in World War II. 211 of them gave their life for the cause. Businesses did their part again as they had during WWI by converting to war production. Kingston Products Corp. produced nearly $40 million of military wares to include shells, rockets, and fuses among other things. The Globe Company produced metal life rafts and other sheet metal products. Haynes Stellite produced approximately 45 million turbine blades for aircraft superchargers. Delco Radio, Chrysler, General Electric, Hoosier Iron, and Continental Steel were also involved in military production as were many other Howard County manufacturers. The people of Howard County were also involved in supporting the troops. Citizens collected 22,000 tons of iron and over 431,000 pounds of rubber during scrap drives. These totals did not include industrial scrap. Rationing was instituted as well. Nearly everything was rationed including gasoline, flour, tires, shoes, butter, coffee, and sugar. The ration booklets and tokens in the display case are how rationing was controlled. Without the book and stamps to document what you were allowed to have, you would not get anything. The war ended in August of 1945.