The National Park Service has designated East Hartford as one of a select list of cities, towns and counties in the nation by designating the town as an “American World War II Heritage City”.
The announcement was made Monday that the town and 17 other places will join the first such city: Wilmington, North Carolina which was named the first state historic WWII workforce community in September, 2020.
According to the NPS, the “ American World War II Heritage City” designation is intended to honor contributions where communities and their citizens rallied together and rolled up their sleeves in the nation’s unified factory effort in support of the war against the combined Axis powers of World War II.
The designation was to be formally announced in East Hartford on Wednesday, Dec. 7 – Pearl Harbor Day, the anniversary of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, shocking the nation and propelled America to declare war against Japan and Germany, mustering Americans to fight on distant battlefronts across the Atlantic and in the Pacific.
Aircraft engines and propellers made in East Hartford were known for their reliability. P&W powered planes flew over Europe, defended the skies in dogfights over Britain and France, launched fighter planes from aircraft carriers and bases around the Pacific, and were counted on to bring the fight to the enemy – or, when called upon, go rescue those in dire straits.
East Hartford is the only Connecticut location that will be designated by the NPS as an American World War II Heritage City, according to Congressman John Larson’s office. It is something the congressman has been working on for his hometown.
In addition to East Hartford, home of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft which provided engines for thousands of aircraft made in a sprawling factory operated around the clock, the other newly-designated communities include: Pensacola and Escambia counties, Florida; Savannah and Chatham counties, Georgia; Evansville, Indiana; Wichita, Kansas; New Orleans, Louisiana ; Springfield, Massachusetts; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Lewistown, Montana; Paterson, New Jersey; Los Alamos County, New Mexico ; Montgomery County (City of Dayton), Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; South Texas Bend area and Corpus Christi, Texas; Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, and West Richland), Washington; Manitowoc, Wisconsin; and Casper and Natrona counties, Wyoming.
World War II permeated every aspect of American life and resulted in a large migration of people within the United States. Individuals and families relocated to industrial centers for good-paying war jobs and out of a sense of patriotic duty. Many industrial centers became “boom towns,” growing at phenomenal rates. Workers from around the nation had to intermingle with each other and overcome differences in order to meet war demands, forever changing the cultural landscape of the United States.
Contributions by a city to the World War II home front war effort include defense manufacturing, such as ships, aircraft, uniforms, and equipment; production of food and consumer items for Armed Forces and home consumption; volunteer participation; and civil defense preparedness.
The World War II Heritage Cities program was established by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 to recognize the historic importance of the United States domestic involvement in World War II and ensure the continued preservation of defining period in American history.
