Montana's Home Front during World War II

This compelling account of Montana's contribution to the war effort covers personal stories, local politics, industry, agriculture, education, sports, and social life during the upheaval of a world-wide conflict. This is the tale of ordinary citizens who came together to support their sons and daughters overseas, and the tens of thousands of residents who left the Treasure State to serve their country in the military and defense plants. Those who remained planted Victory Gardens, purchased record amounts of war bonds, and endured the hardships brought about by war-time shortages and rationing. This highly-readable account is the most comprehensive look at Montana during the early 1940s, and the tremendous sacrifices made by ordinary people to support their country in time of war. It features:

• The training of the First Special Service Force "Devil's Brigade" at Fort Harrison.
• The construction of Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Great Falls based Lend-Lease operation to aid the Soviet Union.
• The experience of hundreds of Italian and Japanese civilians who languished behind barbed wire at the Fort Missoula Detention Center.
• The hellish fighting encountered in the jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines by the 163rd Infantry Regiment (Montana National Guard).
• The terrors of night combat as the crew of the USS Helena battled Japanese ships in the treacherous waters near Guadalcanal.

Gary Glynn is the author of Montana's Home Front During World War II, Historic Photos of Montana, Remembering Montana, and the upcoming That Beautiful Little Post: The Story of Fort Missoula. His work has appeared in Montana Magazine, American History Magazine, World War II magazine, Aviation History, America's Civil War, and many other publications. He wrote the "Home Front" column for the Missoulian newspaper from 1991 to 1994, and was a major contributor to that newspaper's "Greatest Generation" series of special editions.