Garland Arthur Howell Part 4

Garland Arthur Howell Part 4

1940 -- Census, Micro to Parrish Memorial Road
1940 -- Historical Insight -- Registering for the Draft, WWII; North Carolina during World War II
1941 -- Son Joseph Bruce is born
1941 Historical Insight -- US enters World War II
1945 -- Historical Insight -- First Inauguration of Harry S. Truman; V-J Day

1940 age 25

Federal Census 1940, lived with his wife in Micro, Johnston County NC, on Micro to Parrish Memorial Road.  Ancestry.com has the census indexed as "New to Parrish Monorial Road."  

April 1940 Census, Micro Township, Johnston County NC

Garland and Lena, age 25 and 22 own their farm, valued at 4 (what? thousand?  four dollars?).  Neither of them attend school, Garland completed grade 7 while Lena had two years of High School.  Both were born in North Carolina, lived in the same place in 1935 (see the notes in the previous post).  Garland indicates he had a regular job, but Lena is listed as having no job, working in the home.  Garland worked 50 hours on farming as an operator, working on his own account, working for the full 52 weeks in the last year.  He indicates that he got no salary, but that he received "income of $50 or more from sources other than money wages or salary."  His farm schedule is 173.

Historical Insight -- Registering for the Draft During World War II

Garland Arthur Howell registered for the US military draft.

Even before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States
established its first peacetime draft in 1940

Credit: Planet News Archive/SSPL/SSPL via Getty Images

from Ancestry. com

Garland Arthur Howell Draft Registration Card front

Garland's Draft Registration card Back

The information found on these cards is amazing.  We see his address in October 1940 is Route D2 in Selma, Johnston County NC.  He has no phone, he is 25 years old, working as a farmer for Vernon J. House in Selma.  It gives his date of birth, and his wife "Mrs. Garland Arthur Howell" is someone who will always know where he is at.  The front has what I believe is his own signature.    On the back, we find physical characteristics, that he was 6' tall, weighed about 120 pounds, had blue eyes, blonde hair and light brown complexion -- probably from his many days in the sun on the farm.

Historical Insight -- North Carolina During World War II

Garland Arthur Howell of Micro NC might have worked at one of North Carolina's military bases or airfields in 1940.

With an extensive network of military bases and camps, North Carolina
provided training for more American troops
than any other state during World War II.
Credit:  Library of Congress
from Ancestry.com Historical Insight

1941 age 26

Birth of son Joseph Bruce on 31 December 1941 in Selma, Johnston County NC.  He later died in 2006.

Historical Insight -- The United States enters World War II

Garland Arthur Howell lived in Micro NC when the United States declared war on Japan just one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor that killed 2,400 Americans.

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy,” declared President Franklin D. Roosevelt before Congress, “the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” The surprise assault on Pearl Harbor, which killed 2,400 American servicemen and civilians, made Americans and their political leaders resolute. After two years of isolationism, the United States declared war on Japan and entered World War II. Fearing that the country’s entry into the global conflict was inevitable, Roosevelt had launched the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history starting in September of 1940. By the following December, the military had grown to 2.2-million servicemen. Over the next four years, the U.S. military trained 10 million additional draftees and volunteers for two distant wars against two distinct enemies: Germany and Japan. When soldiers shipped off, women were left to manage the home front with men who weren’t eligible to serve in the military. Daily life was challenging as families prepared for attacks on American soil and rationed food and common supplies to support the war effort. As factories pushed to keep up with skyrocketing demand and with male bodies in short supply, women entered the workforce in record numbers. Before the Allied victory was celebrated in 1945, nearly 420,000 Americans gave their lives. -- Ancestry.com Historical Insights

1945, age 30

Historical Insight -- First Inauguration of Harry S. Truman

Garland Arthur Howell of Micro NC was likely shocked when Harry S. Truman suddenly became president of the United States in 1945.

The Presidential oath of office was administered in a solemn, private ceremony,
as crowds stood outside the White House.
12 April 1945, Washington DC
Credit:  National Archives and Records Administration
from Ancestry.com Historical Insights

On April 12, 1945, the United States was dealt a terrible blow with the unexpected death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Beloved by his country, President Roosevelt had led Americans through both the Great Depression and a World War. Responsibilities regarding the ongoing war now fell on the shoulders of Harry S. Truman. Only two hours after hearing of the death of President Roosevelt, Truman received the presidential oath of office from Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone in the Cabinet Room of the White House, becoming the 33rd U.S. President. Many difficult decisions instantly became his, including whether to drop atomic bombs on Japan. “I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me,” he later told reporters. President Truman asked the cabinet of Franklin D. Roosevelt to stay on with him and was later re-elected. -- Ancestry.com Historical Insight

Historical Insight -- V-J Day

At the close of World War II Garland Arthur Howell might have taken part in V-J Day celebrations while living in Micro NC.

In the United States, public displays of jubilant celebration
characterized the end of World War II on V-J  (Victory over Japan) Day.
Credit:  Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
from Ancestry.com Historical Insight

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