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Hastings named as World War II Heritage City
Hastings was among 11 U.S. communities recently designated as an American World War II Heritage City.
The National Parks Service’s 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.
“I am so pleased that the nomination of Hastings for this honor was accepted,” said Teresa Kreutzer-Hodson, director of the Hastings Museum. “Many other communities in Nebraska could also qualify, so the fact that they choose to recognize Hastings on a national level for the contributions of our community to the war effort is fantastic.”
Hastings Museum staff members pursued the application.
The nomination letter must come from a governing official, which in this case was Mayor Corey Stutte.
Kreutzer-Hodson completed the application. She collected the supporting material, basing much of the application information on research for the Museum’s World War II in Hastings bus tour.
The formation in 1942 of the Hastings Naval Ammunition Depot in Hastings significantly altered the landscape and social dynamics of the Hastings area. The Depot also became the second-largest naval ammunition depot in the country. It provided every type of ammunition to the U.S. Navy from 1943 until 1956, ranging from small arms projectiles to larger bombs, mines, and rockets.
Aside from Hastings, the other newly designated communities are:
Foley, Alabama
Tempe, Arizona
Richmond, California
Wilmington, Delaware
Waterloo, Iowa
Baltimore County, Maryland
Johnson County and Warrensburg, Missouri (joint community nomination)
Boulder City and Henderson, Nevada (joint community nomination)
Yonkers, New York
Bedford County, Virginia
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 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.
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 a defining period in American history. This year’s additions follow the inaugural designation of Wilmington, North Carolina in September 2020.
The National Parks Service announcement can be found here.
The Hastings page can be found here.
Published Date: 01/ 5/2024