Canadians and Americans for Victory
C.D. Howe
Written by: Emily Peterman
In the last two weeks the world has witnessed terrible events. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have brought the Second Great War to a screeching halt. Many in Canada are simply relieved the Nazis did not develop the atomic bomb first. Now we are being told that Canadians played a big part in ensuring the safety of the world.
In 1942, the British government was looking to relocate its nuclear research laboratories, and for help from the Americans in developing nuclear weapons. Scientists knew that uranium was needed to make the bomb work, and since Canada had plenty of uranium, they asked if we would be interested ("Canada's Historical Role").
Needless to say, we agreed. Who gave the go-ahead? Who gently ushered our country into the nuclear age? Clarence Decatur Howe. “Okay,” he said, “Let’s go.” Just like that, a secret lab opened in Montreal ("Canada's Historical Role").
Who is this man? Born in America, Howe moved to Halifax in 1908 to teach civil engineering at Dalhousie University. In 1916, he moved to Port Arthur, Ontario to open his own engineering firm. He focussed mainly on grain elevators. A likely politician? It wouldn’t seem so, but Howe knew how to use peoples’ strengths ("C. D. Howe").
In 1935, the Liberals asked him to run in the election. He was elected, and by 1936 had been named Minister of Transport. In 1940, after the war started, the Department of Munitions and Supply was created. Howe was appointed its head. His excellent management of the Department (using those outstanding people skills again!) put him in a position to be consulted on this matter of the atomic bomb ("C. D. Howe"). After giving the go-ahead for the research lab, Howe was made a member on a committee to look after affairs surrounding the bomb. With three of the other members American and two British, Howe was the only Canadian on the team (Edwards). He has been looking out for us at every turn. So it is that we owe this man so much of our freedom today.
DORIS MILLER
Written By: Lockerbie Newton
April 28th, 1942
December 7th marks a day of anguish for both America and Canada. It marks the day in which the attack upon Pearl Harbor, by Japanese Raider planes, took place. Japan stood victorious in their air raid that lasted for a nearly an hour while 2,335 U.S. servicemen and 68 civilians were killed. (Pearl Harbour Facts, About.com) Yet, it was also date that a young and unnoticed African-American sailor rose above his shadowed image in being only a mess man, and acted heroically aboard the US ship West Virginia as pearl Harbour went down in History as one of the worst days in American History. (Doris Miller: Pearl Harbour Hero, African-American News and Issues)
Doris Miller is an African-American, born in Waco, Texas, on the 12th of October 1919, to Henrietta and Conery Miller. While attending Moore High School in Waco, he was expelled for engaging in a number of fights, most of which were racially based. Because Doris Miller was now out of school he worked on his father’s farm until he was permitted to join the Navy in 1939. (Doris Miller, Great Black Heroes)
On the Morning of December 7th, less than six months ago, Doris or "Dorie" as his fellow sailors call him, was up at six. Usually working as a cook, Doris, or Dorie as his fellow sailors call him, had volunteered as a room steward to make a small bit of extra money and was quietly doing the laundry aboard the West Virginia, docked at Pearl Harbour. (Doris Miller, Great Black Heroes) It was here, that Dorie heard the alarm sound. Little did Miller know that he, a small unknown and ordinary African American cook, would become a hero that day. (Doris Miller: Pearl Harbour Hero, African-American News and Issues)
When Miller Heard the alarm sound he headed for his battle station just as he had rehearsed so many times in his Naval drills. When he got there however he found that the ship in which he was ordered to be stationed at, was under attack and his post destroyed. He was order to run across the wrecked deck that was billowing in smoke and retrieve injured shipmates and carry them to safety. Without a blink of an eye or any thought to his own safety he did so. (Navy honors African American hero of Pearl Harbor attack. Dcmilitary.com) “The sky seened filled with diving planes and black bursts of exploding antiaircraft shells and if angered me. I wanted to save these poor men who the Japanese were destroying,” Dorie Miller recounts.(Doris Miller Quotes, BrainyQuote) Rescuing the injured was not all Dorie did. Miller was next ordered to help load two .50 caliber anti-aircraft guns and although, Miler had never worked with this equipment before he did more than load the guns. As Japanese planes swooped down, the ordinary mess attendant took control of one of the guns and started firing at the enemy. ‘‘It wasn’t hard,” Miller says ‘‘I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine. I had watched the others with these guns. I guess I fired her for about 15 minutes. I think I got a few of those Jap planes. They were diving pretty close to us.” (Cook Third Class Doris Miller, USN, Naval History and Heritage)
Miller had shown extraordinary courage and bravery during the attack. Running was the furthest thing from Miller’s mind as he helped save lives, killed Japanese fighter planes without any training and even volunteered to help clean up the debris after that attack and rescue sailors. These acts would not go unnoticed. Just over two weeks ago, President Roosevelt approved the Navy Cross for Miller, the third highest honor one can achieve in the Navy. Dorie was awarded the cross personally by Chester W. Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Naval Forces yesterday. Doris Miller, a high school dropout and African American navy cook, is a hero. (Cook Third Class Doris Miller, USN, Naval History and Heritage)
The story only goes to show all of us readers that we can do more for the war effort. This African American cook did. We Canadians, we called storm troopers in our victorious efforts in the Great War. The Attack on Pearl Harbor marks the day the Americans entered the war. However, Canadians have been in he war far longer than Americans. We need to show the world that we are not just some petty dominion of England. We are a nation. We must “go above and beyond the call of duty” just like Doris Miller did. Men on the battlefield, women and children for the war effort—we must all take part. Let Doris Miller be your hero, look up to him and make sure you help us win the war buy doing your part.
In 1942, the British government was looking to relocate its nuclear research laboratories, and for help from the Americans in developing nuclear weapons. Scientists knew that uranium was needed to make the bomb work, and since Canada had plenty of uranium, they asked if we would be interested ("Canada's Historical Role").
Needless to say, we agreed. Who gave the go-ahead? Who gently ushered our country into the nuclear age? Clarence Decatur Howe. “Okay,” he said, “Let’s go.” Just like that, a secret lab opened in Montreal ("Canada's Historical Role").
Who is this man? Born in America, Howe moved to Halifax in 1908 to teach civil engineering at Dalhousie University. In 1916, he moved to Port Arthur, Ontario to open his own engineering firm. He focussed mainly on grain elevators. A likely politician? It wouldn’t seem so, but Howe knew how to use peoples’ strengths ("C. D. Howe").
In 1935, the Liberals asked him to run in the election. He was elected, and by 1936 had been named Minister of Transport. In 1940, after the war started, the Department of Munitions and Supply was created. Howe was appointed its head. His excellent management of the Department (using those outstanding people skills again!) put him in a position to be consulted on this matter of the atomic bomb ("C. D. Howe"). After giving the go-ahead for the research lab, Howe was made a member on a committee to look after affairs surrounding the bomb. With three of the other members American and two British, Howe was the only Canadian on the team (Edwards). He has been looking out for us at every turn. So it is that we owe this man so much of our freedom today.
DORIS MILLER
Written By: Lockerbie Newton
April 28th, 1942
December 7th marks a day of anguish for both America and Canada. It marks the day in which the attack upon Pearl Harbor, by Japanese Raider planes, took place. Japan stood victorious in their air raid that lasted for a nearly an hour while 2,335 U.S. servicemen and 68 civilians were killed. (Pearl Harbour Facts, About.com) Yet, it was also date that a young and unnoticed African-American sailor rose above his shadowed image in being only a mess man, and acted heroically aboard the US ship West Virginia as pearl Harbour went down in History as one of the worst days in American History. (Doris Miller: Pearl Harbour Hero, African-American News and Issues)
Doris Miller is an African-American, born in Waco, Texas, on the 12th of October 1919, to Henrietta and Conery Miller. While attending Moore High School in Waco, he was expelled for engaging in a number of fights, most of which were racially based. Because Doris Miller was now out of school he worked on his father’s farm until he was permitted to join the Navy in 1939. (Doris Miller, Great Black Heroes)
On the Morning of December 7th, less than six months ago, Doris or "Dorie" as his fellow sailors call him, was up at six. Usually working as a cook, Doris, or Dorie as his fellow sailors call him, had volunteered as a room steward to make a small bit of extra money and was quietly doing the laundry aboard the West Virginia, docked at Pearl Harbour. (Doris Miller, Great Black Heroes) It was here, that Dorie heard the alarm sound. Little did Miller know that he, a small unknown and ordinary African American cook, would become a hero that day. (Doris Miller: Pearl Harbour Hero, African-American News and Issues)
When Miller Heard the alarm sound he headed for his battle station just as he had rehearsed so many times in his Naval drills. When he got there however he found that the ship in which he was ordered to be stationed at, was under attack and his post destroyed. He was order to run across the wrecked deck that was billowing in smoke and retrieve injured shipmates and carry them to safety. Without a blink of an eye or any thought to his own safety he did so. (Navy honors African American hero of Pearl Harbor attack. Dcmilitary.com) “The sky seened filled with diving planes and black bursts of exploding antiaircraft shells and if angered me. I wanted to save these poor men who the Japanese were destroying,” Dorie Miller recounts.(Doris Miller Quotes, BrainyQuote) Rescuing the injured was not all Dorie did. Miller was next ordered to help load two .50 caliber anti-aircraft guns and although, Miler had never worked with this equipment before he did more than load the guns. As Japanese planes swooped down, the ordinary mess attendant took control of one of the guns and started firing at the enemy. ‘‘It wasn’t hard,” Miller says ‘‘I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine. I had watched the others with these guns. I guess I fired her for about 15 minutes. I think I got a few of those Jap planes. They were diving pretty close to us.” (Cook Third Class Doris Miller, USN, Naval History and Heritage)
Miller had shown extraordinary courage and bravery during the attack. Running was the furthest thing from Miller’s mind as he helped save lives, killed Japanese fighter planes without any training and even volunteered to help clean up the debris after that attack and rescue sailors. These acts would not go unnoticed. Just over two weeks ago, President Roosevelt approved the Navy Cross for Miller, the third highest honor one can achieve in the Navy. Dorie was awarded the cross personally by Chester W. Nimitz, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Naval Forces yesterday. Doris Miller, a high school dropout and African American navy cook, is a hero. (Cook Third Class Doris Miller, USN, Naval History and Heritage)
The story only goes to show all of us readers that we can do more for the war effort. This African American cook did. We Canadians, we called storm troopers in our victorious efforts in the Great War. The Attack on Pearl Harbor marks the day the Americans entered the war. However, Canadians have been in he war far longer than Americans. We need to show the world that we are not just some petty dominion of England. We are a nation. We must “go above and beyond the call of duty” just like Doris Miller did. Men on the battlefield, women and children for the war effort—we must all take part. Let Doris Miller be your hero, look up to him and make sure you help us win the war buy doing your part.