WASHINGTON (December 5, 2022) – The National Park Service announced today the designation of Savannah and Chatham County, and 17 new communities across the United States as American World War II Heritage Cities. These new additions follow the inaugural designation of Wilmington, North Carolina in September 2020.
The American World War II Heritage Cities Program honors the contributions of local towns, cities, counties and their citizens who stepped into the workforce to support America’s war effort during World War II. Only one American World War II Heritage City can be designated in each state or territory.
World War II permeated every aspect of American life and resulted in a large migration of people within the United States. Individuals and families relocated to industrial centers for good-paying war jobs and out of a sense of patriotic duty. Many industrial centers became “boom towns,” growing at phenomenal rates. Workers from around the nation had to intermingle with each other and overcome differences in order to meet war demands, forever changing the cultural landscape of the United States.
Contributions by a city to the World War II home front war effort include defense manufacturing, such as ships, aircraft, uniforms, and equipment; production of food and consumer items for Armed Forces and home consumption; volunteer participation; and civil defense preparedness. Savannah and Chatham County were a ship building center.
The World War II Heritage Cities program was established by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 to recognize the historic importance of the United States domestic involvement in World War II and ensure the continued preservation of defining period in American history.
The 18 newly designated communities are:
- East Hartford, Connecticut
- Pensacola and Escambia counties, Florida
- Savannah and Chatham counties, Georgia
- Evansville, Indiana
- Wichita, Kansas
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Springfield, Massachusetts
- Pascagoula, Mississippi
- Lewistown, Montana
- Paterson, New Jersey
- Los Alamos County, New Mexico
- Montgomery County (City of Dayton), Ohio
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- South Texas Bend area and Corpus Christi, Texas
NPS History Lesson Shipbuilding in Savannah and Chatham County
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. www.nps.gov