Hello everyone, sorry this edition of WW2 effects is late, as I'm sure most of you know, I was off partying in the Northwest for 3 days, and last week was pretty busy for me before that. Today's WW2 effects state, is the home of the Sooners, Oklahoma. Last WW2 effects: New Hampshire WW2 effects: New Hampshire Oklahoma Pre-WW2 Before WW2, Oklahoma was probably one of the last states Americans wanted to be in. In the 1930's, Oklahoma was pounded by the Dust bowl, and economically crippled by the Depression. Hundreds of thousands of Sooners got up and left, looking for better opportunities and a better life elsewhere. Oklahoma's main sources of income were farming of all types, the natural gas industry, and factory made products. After the Dust bowl, Farming was obliterated, during the Depression, natural gas prices skyrocketed, and factories shut down across the state. In 1940, a year before the war reached the U.S, The government and military began to build a serious presence in the state, improving steadily, but slowly the unemployment and financial issues of the state. Oklahoma WW2 13 Army airfields were constructed throughout the state because of it's flat and soft ground. Factories were converted to make weaponry and the resources needed to fight the Germans, Italians, and Japanese across the Globe. The one war machine Oklahoma produced the most of, and focused the greatest time and resources on was the aircraft. Throughout the war nearly 25,000 aircraft of all types were built in the state. Along with building aircraft, Oklahoma was a hot spot for training and hosting thousands of pilots, not just American, but British and Canadians as well. While conditions across the great plains improved slightly, farming got back on it's feet and began to once again have successful harvest and provided tons of food to the American military and other allies. The Crude oil business in Oklahoma boomed. Prices went down significantly, and there was no shortage of demand throughout the war and immediately after, but the companies kept up, and hundreds of people went from being lower middle class citizens, to millionaires. Oklahoma Post WW2 5,474 Oklahoman's lost their lives in the conflict, and many thousands more came back changed both physically and mentally forever. Like many of it's unfortunate inhabitants, Oklahoma changed drastically, but not in a negative way. Many of the industries, especially the aviation related ones went on to be extremely successful, bringing hundreds of thousands to the state for work. The Natural gas and oil industry maintained it's extreme success for decades, also bringing in thousands of jobs. The Agricultural center of the state also fully recovered and has gone on to be one of the most successful growing states in the U.S since 1950. Oklahoma has been continually influenced by the events of 1941-1945, and was essentially formed into a new state directly afterwards, a considerably better state all the way around.
