Need some creative thoughts...

[BRUTUS12]

Not sure if this is in the correct forum, first time posting a new thread. Sorry if I am posting in the wrong place, and let me know what I need to do to fix it if that is the case.
I am a college student and have to give a 5-7 minute speech from the category history. (events, battles, architecture, leaders, royalty, cultures lost cities, entertainers, art, invention etc.) I am not looking for anyone to do the work for me, I was just wondering if anyone had anything that is really different from the norm. We get more points for creative topics. Again, I do not want anyone to do the work for me, I enjoy researching. I just wanted to check to see if anyone here would know of an event or anything that most people don't know about or that could hold the attention of 20 other college students for the 5-7 minutes.

Open and Thankful to all suggestions!

 

[Jones]

Stateside security during WW2 isn't often touched, on other than the usual stuff about wartime rationing and the various slogans that were in use at the time; "Loose lips sink ships" and "Is this trip really necessary?" having to do with fuel and rubber conservation are just a couple.

Out here on the west coast the fears were of an invasion or attack by japanese forces and to see what lengths we went to; go to Google, click on images, and do a search on "How to hide an airplane factory".

Let us know how your talk goes.

 

[11Echo]

5-7 minutes probably too short to touch on The Battle of Attu Island, Alaska, the only land battle fought on United States soil in WW II. Often referred to as the "Bloodiest Battle".

http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/aleutians/Aleutians/html/aleutians-wwii.htm

 

[drgreg]

The WWII state side prisoner of war (PW) camps is a subject of interest. None of my history classes ever mentioned these camps, at least that I remember. German PW's were used heavily for factory and field work, most stayed in low security camps. The Japs were held in secure detension because they attacted us and we did not trust them.

 

[98hd]

Most people don't think the U.S. Mainland (lower 48 ) was ever attacked during WWII, but the Japs sent over high altitude balloon bombs in an effort to strike fear into Americans. Several caused some small forest fires, and many fell and did not detonate. I don't remember if there were any injuries or casualties as a result, but I want to say there were not any casualties.

 

[BRUTUS12]

@ Jones...I like what I am seeing with the google search

@ drgreg...PW's definitely are of intrest also, researching a particular camp might be the angle i approach that

@ 98hd...I've never learned about that, and I am going to look into that just out of plain curiosity.

thanks to all of you guys, this all helps out alot!

 

[wiggall]

Another apprough you might take, but it will tick off your PROFESSOR is that why Japan did not attack the MAIN LAND WAS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE HAD FIREARMS, and KNOW HOW TO USE THEM! FTG2 Wiggles USS EDSON DD 946 1969-1973

 

[spentshell]

Do it on the Transcontinental Convoy the Army did back in the day
I bet not to many non-MV people ever learned that one and if you love MV's it would be easy for you

 

[dm22630]

Why not talk about the draft? Explain to them if they were 40 years older, that they would be sitting in the jungle or desert instead of in the nice heated classroom. It might give them some appreciation for the ones that gave their lives so they can now learn instead of fight.

 

[jpcj-7]

stateside security during ww2 isn't often touched, on other than the usual stuff about wartime rationing and the various slogans that were in use at the time; "loose lips sink ships" and "is this trip really necessary?" having to do with fuel and rubber conservation are just a couple.

Out here on the west coast the fears were of an invasion or attack by japanese forces and to see what lengths we went to; go to google, click on images, and do a search on "how to hide an airplane factory".

Let us know how your talk goes.

wow!

 

[dc3coyote]

You could do it on the history of the SPARS, it was the womens group of the CoastGuard during WW2 they actually ran lifeboat operations, and did a moajority of shoreside operations.

 

[BRUTUS12]

thanks for all the good ideas!! I have not made up my mind about what I'm going to do yet, but I'll let everyone the topic. Thanks again.

 

[m.walker]

Not just balloon attacks , I thought Japan had fired from a submarine on the west coast . Hit nothing of much value though , I think a pumping station or oil refinery pump , research it .

 

[SCSG-G4]

One such PW camp was at Camp Perry, Ohio. 10 PW's were put into each 14' x 14' building which had a coal stove in the middle, a door and three windows, but no insulation. They were used for competitor housing till the early 1990's - I've stayed in them (but the competitors only had four to a hut, and no stove).

 

[Firefighter294]

Do it on the Transcontinental Convoy the Army did back in the day
I bet not to many non-MV people ever learned that one and if you love MV's it would be easy for you

I like this idea too. Especially since the Military Vehicle Preservation Association is preparing a re-creation of the US Army Transportation Corps 1919 convoy from Washington, D.C. to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. The convoy will depart June 13th, 2009 with the arrival in San Francisco timed for participation in their 4th of July parade.

Regards,
Rick

 

[surewriting]

heres an interesting thing: back in ww2 a japanese soldier by the name of Hiroo Onoda and his group of guerrilla soldiers were stationed in the phillipines, and didnt get the message that the war was over, and he and his men (i think all of them died except him in the end, but im not sure) kept fighting for about a whole of 30 some odd years. cool stuff. hes got a book, and as far as i know, still living. the book is called no surrender- my 30 year war.

 

[Flea]

You could do it on the Battle of Athens, TN:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946)

 

[Chut1st]

Hope I'm not too late with a suggestion. The Alaska Highway was built during WW-II. It's a great story and you should be able to find some good A/V aids for it online.

 

[BRUTUS12]

thanks alot guys!! I'll let you guys know what I decide to do it on, have not made up my mind yet, even though the outline is due tomorrow. It's going to be a longgg night. Oh the beauty of work done from 11pm-4am

 

[cam7002]

"Stateside security during WW2 isn't often touched, on other than the usual stuff about wartime rationing and the various slogans that were in use at the time; "Loose lips sink ships" and "Is this trip really necessary?" having to do with fuel and rubber conservation are just a couple."

Very interesting. If you google search McGuffin, Humboldt and World War, you should find some research I did on this issue when I was in college.

Most people don't think the U.S. Mainland (lower 48 ) was ever attacked during WWII, but the [Japanese] sent over high altitude balloon bombs in an effort to strike fear into Americans. Several caused some small forest fires, and many fell and did not detonate. I don't remember if there were any injuries or casualties as a result, but I want to say there were not any casualties.

There actually were casualties. A church group was out in the Siskiyou National Forest, if I remember. One of the boys found one of the parachutes, the group leader went over to check it out, they pulled around on it, and it blew up and killed one and injured others (I am going off of memory here).

The other thing is that the Japanese had submarines that patrolled the US coastline. Some of the subs had planes inside that could be launched from the hull. One of these firebombed the national forest, but it didn't start a fire as had been hoped.

Additionally, the US Navy had blimp duty sailors on the coast. One blimp station was out of Eureka, CA, and one of the blimp sailors, Cy Beatty (who had already seen extensive action on ship in the South Pacific), and I had a great number of conversations. We both believe that his crew sunk a sub that had been coming ashore some nights and coming up to charge batteries. If so, it is still there, right off the head of Trinidad, just north of Arcata, CA. Apparently, there is a large chunk of magnetic something down there so it could be there.

Anyhew ....