Memorial Day–A Boy’s Favorite Christmas Present
My father in law often spoke of his favorite Christmas gift ever--a box of shrapnel pieces from Army Air Force bombs. During World War II, the United States' industrial base kicked into high gear to supply bombs, bullets, aircraft, tanks, jeeps, ships, and GI helmets to the war front. Aside from supplying basic wartime needs for the over twelve million US servicemen, the American factories supplied all of the above for British, Soviet and other allied forces to help defeat the Axis powers. And it worked. In a steel mill in Pennsylvania, hot molten steel was formed into everything needed to win the war. Part of that steel was formed into bomb bodies, weighing anywhere from one…