January 16, 2018
Life on the Home Front
With over twelve million men serving overseas during World War II, employers were left with gaping holes in their workforce. As a result, they hired women to take the positions. This created an immense change in the culture of the times. Women had to balance work and home life, deal with discrimination and harassment, and handle situations normally taken care of by their husbands or fathers.
Rationing began in 1942 with tires and by 1943 ration coupons were required to purchase coffee, sugar, meat, cheese, butter, lard, margarine, canned foods, dried fruits, jam, gasoline, bicycles, fuel oil, clothing, silk or nylon stockings, and shoes. The automotive and appliance industries quit producing until after the war.
Find out how Americans coped during this difficult time, and hear stories of the brave women in the workforce in this talk by local author Linda Shenton Matchett.
Matchett, a resident of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, has been a freelance writer for over ten years, with work in numerous print and online publications. She has worked as a crisis counselor, human resources professional, bed and breakfast owner, and youth center director, and is currently the Front of House, Snack Bar, and Catering Manager for Brewster Academy, a boarding high school. She also volunteers as a docent at the Wright Museum of WWII, a Trustee for the Wolfeboro Public Library, and treasurer, usher, choir member, and Bible study leader at her church.