Roswell During World War II
- Elaine DeNiro
- Dec 1, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 16, 2020
When President Roosevelt declared war in December 1941, the residents of Roswell quickly acted to do their part to help the war effort.
Pictured above is Little Effie Adams drew the first three draft cards in north Fulton County from 1,018 registration cards at the beginning of World War II as Draft Board No. 16 looked on. Left to right are J.J. Rucker, Alpharetta, secretary; Dr. T.M. Ezzard, Roswell, medical advisor; Claude Rainwater, Alpharetta, clerk; J.H. Manning, Alpharetta; H.R. Adams, Alpharetta, appeal agent; and Clifford Vaughn, Roswell, chairman.
Local Draft Board #16 in Roswell's Perry House
Many volunteered for service before being drafted. Local Draft Board #16 was located in the Perry House, but registration was held at the school for convenience. All men who had attained their twentieth birthday on or before, December 31, 1941, and had not reached their forty-fifth birthday by registration day had to register. The pay for enlisted men was $50 monthly plus all expenses.
Surprise Blackout Drills
Roswell had surprise blackout drills. Victory gardens were planted. Salvage drives for scrap metal were held. Residents were issued ration books for food and fuel. Women could no longer purchase nylon stockings, as the nylon was needed for wartime parachutes.
Roswell Flour & Feed Mill company distributed covers for ration books like the one above.
Food Rationing in Roswell during World War II
In an interview, recorded in 2014, Amy Crawford, a Roswell resident who lived through World War II, talks about food rationing during this time and what it was like. Amy's father, G.W. Adams, was principal of the Roswell School during this time.
Because many food supplies were in shortage at the time, ration books were created and used by citizens to obtain food items. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods.
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It’s fascinating to think about how a place like Roswell experienced such a pivotal time in history. Beyond the headlines, there must have been so many everyday moments, challenges, and quiet resilience shaping people’s lives. It almost feels like a hidden divine story—where ordinary lives were woven into something much bigger during those uncertain times.
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