World War II and Nevada takes a comprehensive look at the Silver State’s role in the war effort, including the effects of rationing and other contributions made by its people; the military’s use of the state’s land, skies, and waters; and the shift of economic power from northern to southern Nevada. Author Charles Weller also explores subjects such as the Japanese balloon bombs, fears of sabotage, race relations, and Nevada’s navy. The book includes the most complete listing of the state’s dead, wounded, and prisoners of war.
Readers will learn about:
- The state’s mineral resources, particularly magnesium, that were key to victory.
- The role of women and minoritized groups in Nevada’s contribution to the war efforts.
- The impact of an increased military presence on the role of marriage, divorce, prostitution, and gambling in the state’s economic and social fabric.
- The thousands of California’s Japanese residents who fled to Nevada to avoid internment.
- The state’s eleven military bases and bombing ranges that used 10,000 square miles of the state’s vast lands and skies to ready the world’s most lethal weapons for use in the war.
- The 1,100 people with Nevada connections who were killed, wounded, or made prisoners of war during the conflict.
World War II and Nevada includes 25 photographs.
