Most People Have Never Seen These 10 Photos Taken During WWII In Arkansas

You get a sense of true patriotism when looking at photos of Arkansas taken during the 1940s. There was an emotion of people all over the country embracing the spirit of the United States. Support for the brave troops sent to combat was enormously high. It’s a feeling that’s almost alien today in a society that’s constantly looking to divide instead of join together as a positive force of energy against attacks on what our country represents. Those who were raised a part of what we know now as the Greatest Generation worked hard to boost the morale of those who faced the horrors of war, and future generations will be proud to learn about how they lived.

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Marion Post Wolcott took this photo of L.N. McCullough, a line worker from Arkansas, in September 1941. Mr. McCullough was photographed while on the job breaking out gas line in the Goodrich field of the Continental Oil Company in Kansas.

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Fort Smith is in the background of this photo taken in 1943 of a submerged Garrison Avenue Bridge. The Missouri Pacific railroad bridge is to the right, its rails awash in floodwater.

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This photograph, taken in Bald Knob, is of pipe that will be a part of a war pipeline that stretches from Texas to Illinois.

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These servicemen on leave were photographed in downtown Fort Smith in October 1942 by John Vachon.

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This picture of downtown Fort Smith was taken in October 1942 by photographer John Vachon.

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This photograph of City Hall in Little Rock was taken by John Vachon in October 1942. An advertisement out front supports the U.S. war effort.

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This photograph taken by John Vachon in October 1942 shows a Colonial Bread Sign in Little Rock that rallies viewers into supporting America's war efforts.

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Downtown Little Rock was photographed in October 1942 by John Vachon. Note the Arkla Gas advertisement in the background.

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The sign welcoming viewers to Hope, Arkansas was photographed by John Vachon in the autumn of 1942. Even then the town was known for its watermelons.

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Photographer John Vachon took this photograph of the Clarksville courthouse in October 1942. Note the pile of scrap outside the courthouse, likely collected to contribute to the U.S. war efforts.

It’s wonderful to know we live in a state that has always been known to put focus into our efforts. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all rally together for one cause like people did in 1940s wartime? Leave a comment about whether or not society has changed when it’s come to what we do to support our troops or to support an American cause. The cultural landscape is definitely different these days–is it for better or worse?