Over the course of WWII, the U.S. government would spend more than $321 million-well over $3trillion in today’s terms, twice as much as it ha spent in the previous 150 years.

Greatly increased income taxes provided much of the needed revenue. When the war began, fewer than 4 million Americans paid federal income taxes; by its end, more than 40 million did. But the government also borrowed some $185 billion through the sale of war bonds. Banks, insurance companies, and corporations bought up the bulk of them, but millions of ordinary citizens, like my mother and her family and school took part in the series of eight war loan drives as well. Bonds were available everywhere such as movie theaters and post offices. My mother, Betty Lou pictured here worked during high school at the Tivoli movie theatre in Gary, Indiana.

The following is an excerpt from one of my father’s wartime letters published in Comes A Soldier’s Whisper, applauding his then sweetheart for her contribution to sell war bonds:

June 3, 1943
“Darling, I’m proud of you for selling those bonds.3 If only everyone would do that, for it’s equipment we need now and not men. Of course, we are getting more and more every day. It won’t be long now. At least, I hope not. That’s a swell drive your school is putting on.”
~David Clinton Tharp, 101st Airborne 502nd PIR

Perhaps our government should consider bringing back the war bonds.

Comes A Soldier’s Whisper remembering history one day at a time…

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Portion of Text & Photo Source: THE WAR ~ Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns