Courtesy Photo | From the July 2, 1943 edition of Defender, Naval Reservist and Distinguished Flying...... read more read more
Summer is a busy time of year for Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) personnel as they engage in cookouts, concerts and sporting events, while continuing to commit to the mission of getting the Navy’s ships back to the fleet. During World War II, that drive to enjoy the warmer weather was still present, even as battles continued across the globe. The workforce of NNSY was able to combine morale-boosting events with the call to purchase war bonds, supporting the fighting beyond the day-to-day work being done. This time on Heritage Hour, we look back at July of 1943 and the record setting war bond events that took place right here at NNSY.
Readers may recall the scene in Captain America: The First Avenger where the Super Soldier himself was the center of a flashy show calling on people to purchase war bonds. That kind of event was not just Hollywood pizzaz! War bond events were a way to encourage and engage the civilian population at home to purchase the Series E savings bonds. Officially named “war bonds” after the attack on Pearl Harbor, these savings bonds would accrue interest until maturity at which time they could be cashed out for more than their purchase price.
The NNSY event the summer of ’43 could have easily been an inspiration for any Hollywood film. The Norfolk Navy Yard Defender, the predecessor to Service to the Fleet, put out information to drive excitement leading to the Independence Day themed event on Monday, July 5. Naval Reservist and Distinguished Flying Cross holder Lieutenant Scott McCuskey acted as the principal speaker, reminding crowds how early war efforts had struggled due to the lack of equipment but how the purchase of bonds gave those fighting “the best weapons in the world." Three portable stages were set up across the yard and across the water at the St. Helena Annex to hold shop bands as well as a traveling USO show that included musicians, singers, tap dancers and even a quartet of enlisted Navy men from the Naval Ammunition Depot.
The rally proved that when NNSY is given a challenge, the workforce will not only meet the expectation, but exceed it. $396,350 in war bonds were purchased that day, an amount that is the equivalent to over seven million dollars in today’s money! NNSY represented 7.4% of the bonds purchased across all US Navy establishments, gaining recognition from the bond coordinator in Washington DC. While the decades have passed, and these spectacular events are now the thing of movies, it is good to remember that the initiative of NNSY’s workforce to surpass all expectation lives on to this day.
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2024 11:30 |
| Story ID: | 475136 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 55 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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