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It’s difficult for those of us who weren’t adults then, or even yet born, to comprehend how the United States’ entry into World War II precipitated a huge change in normal activities for everyone, including civilians on the home front. The massive conversion of American manufacturing facilities to the war effort meant that there were no automobiles produced between early 1942 and late 1945. There were still military vehicles produced during that 1942-1945 period, of course, but civilians had to make do with what they had, or buy used. As an aside, Ford was the first to resume production, in July 1945, and the first car produced, a white 1946 Ford sedan, was given to President Harry S. Truman.

Additionally, the war brought strict rationing of some commodities, including sugar, butter, gasoline, and canned milk. The government issued rationing books with stamps that were used to allow consumers to buy very limited amounts of those items. Patriotic advertisements in magazines and newspapers, and on radio and billboards, explained that the citizens were sacrificing to help their soldiers in the war effort. Naturally, there was some trading done between individuals who needed one item more than they needed another, and people always figure out a way around rules for profit, so there was a black market, too.

The war also interrupted supply lines, as some sources of American goods were controlled by the enemy. One such commodity was rubber. Imperial Japan’s army controlled the Dutch East Indies (today known as Indonesia), a major source of natural rubber for tire manufacturing in the United States. Obviously, cars and trucks needed new tires occasionally (and after way fewer miles than modern tires), or at least recapping of their worn-out tires. The solution was recycling, and the old tires were gathered through a National Rubber Drive, the subject of this photo.

Citizens would turn in their old tires to the rubber drive, and then the rubber companies would melt them down and either make new tires out of them, or at least treads for recapping old tires. Of course the rubber was also used for tank treads, fan belts, and other rubber products. The same types of drives were held for scrap metal and newspapers

Tullahoma had several different Pan Am gasoline stations over the years and the location of this one was not specified. It’s smaller than others I’ve seen photos of in known locations, but it may have been replaced with one of the larger ones. If you know, please send me a message.

I’m just beginning work on a book about Tullahoma in the twentieth century, roughly 1920s to 1980s. It will be mostly a photo book, with descriptive text. The book will primarily concentrate on Tullahoma in general, only touching slightly on Camp Forrest and AEDC as they affected Tullahoma as a whole. If you have some sharp, large photos you can share, I’d be honored to see them. I’ll scan them and then immediately return them to you. I’m looking mostly for businesses, industries, and major events. You can contact me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.