Name:______Per.___Date:______
U.S. HistoryAGHS/Gregory
How did World War II affect San Luis ObispoCounty?
1: “Atascadero People Wakened…” (December 1941)
Describe what happened to the Montebello. What happened to her crew? (Piedras Blancas is near Cambria—notice that people in Atascadero, 40 miles away, could hear what was going on!)
2: “Letters from ‘Our Boys,’”, Arroyo Grande Herald-Recorder, 1943.
What did Felix Estabil do before the war? What’s his excuse for not writing? What’s life like on board his ship?
How does Estabil seem like a likeable young man?
Look for a short article that tells you what happened to Felix.
3: “Escort Vessel,” Arroyo Grande Herald-Recorder, 1943
Who was Donald Runels? What honor is being paid him?
4: Department of the Navy, Service Record, Ens. Donald Runels
An “Ensign” is an officer. What does that tell you about him, since he’d served for 16 years as an enlisted man? Where and when did he die? What was the name of his last ship?
5: “The Japs are not wanted…”
What does the “California Citizens Council” want to do with Japanese-Americans?
What complaint in this document is similar to complaints earlier agains Okies, Chinese, Irish, etc.
6: “Pvt. Sam Luis”
How is this cartoon reflective of every soldier’s dream?
What tensions might there have been between Camp San Luis and the city of San Luis Obispo? (One of the divisions trained there, the 35th Infantry Division, participated in the D-Day landings; another, the 40th Infantry Division, fought in the Philippines).
7: Safeway ad from The Atascadero News
Take a few minutes to study this ad. What deductions can you make about people’s diets during the war?
8: Songs from World War II
What do the first two songs reveal about marriages during the War? What do you supposed guys with girlfriends back home worried about when they were overseas?
9: San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune, Aug. 1943
How do the two articles in the left-hand columns show you that the war was very close to people in SLOCounty? How is the Iraq war different?
Source 10: San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune, Feb. 1988
Describe the artifacts that CampSan Luis Obispo left behind. A golf course was later built in the area. For you golfers: Why would you want to avoid taking a big divot on that course (Dairy Creek)?