Washington State During World War II
Washington State actually flourished during the second World War. It was a time of booming industry, but also a time marked by unfortunate cultural implications. The lasting influence of World War II can still be seen throughout the state today, as many of the products are still produced here.
Boeing:
Boeing's planes became a symbol of American air power during World War II and helped Allied forces guarantee victory. Boeing represented close to 28 percent of America's aircraft manufacturing during the war. Boeing produced more than 98,000 aircraft, including the B-17 "Flying Fortress."
Hanford:
Hanford, Washington became the site of the top-secret Manhattan Project that produced plutonium. By the middle of 1945, Hanford had produced enough plutonium for an atomic bomb called "Fat Man." That bomb was dropped over Nagasaki, Japan in August of 1945. World War II ended days later.
Japanese Internment:
Japanese-Americans were interned at camps away from Puget Sound during World War II.
Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt, authorized the removal of 110,000 Japanese immigrants and ethnic Japanese citizens from the West coast to internment camps inland, relocating 7,000 people from the Seattle area alone. In 1944, President Roosevelt announced that he would begin drafting interned Japanese American citizens for the war effort.