Linda Thatcher, Miriam B. Murphy History Blazer, September 1995 World War II took the lives of many Utahns, but no family in the state sacrificed more for the Allied cause than Alben and Gunda Borgstrom of Thatcher, Box Elder County. Four of the five sons they sent off to battle died within a six-month period during 1944. “Few families in …
Women Workers and Housing Issues
Glen M. Leonard History of Davis County During World War II, many Utah women joined the civilian forces at defense plants and military installations. They worked as drivers, guards, ammunition inspectors, safety specialists, machinists, and in other traditionally male jobs. For most women, this was their first job outside the home. They went to work in slacks, a new phenomenon …
Utah’s Rosies’ Upshot
Antonette Chambers Noble Historical Quarterly 59 Spring 1991 Local newspaper editorials, the Mormon church (expressed in the Relief Society Magazine), and Utah politicians encouraged women to return to their homes after the war. Even during the hostilities and at the height of the labor shortage these opinion makers had counseled a similar course. For example, in 1943 the Deseret News …
A Utah Naval Officer Died a Hero’s Death at Pearl Harbor
Jeffrey D. Nichols History Blazer, March 1995 The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, shocked the nation and propelled the United States into World War II. The surprise attack killed 2,396 American civilians and military personnel and severely crippled the U. S. Pacific Fleet. The main Japanese targets were the U. S. battleships, including the USS West …
The USS Salt Lake City Made History
Jeffrey D. Nichols History Blazer July 1995 The cruiser USS Salt Lake City, also called the “Swayback Maru,” helped gain revenge for the sinking of the USS Utah at Pearl Harbor. In fact, before the war was over, the Salt Lake City would be unofficially credited with taking part in more naval engagements than any ship in the fleet. The …