Arizona during World War II
The history of Arizona during World War II begins in 1940, when the United States government began constructing military bases within the state in preparation for war. Arizona's contribution to the Allied war effort was significant both in terms of manpower and facilities supported in the state. Prisoner of war camps were operated at Camp Florence and Papago Park, and there was an internment camp to house Japanese-Americans, most of them citizens, who had been forcibly deported from the West Coast.
| Arizona during World War II | |
|---|---|
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Dillon S. Myer visit the Gila River War Relocation Center (April 23, 1943) | |
| Location | Arizona, United States |
| Date | 1940–1945 |
| Casualties | ~2,349 |
| Events | Machita Incident – October 16, 1940 Thanksgiving Day /Phoenix Massacre – November 27, 1942 Great Papago Escape – December 23, 1944 |
The war years provided great economic stimulus, both because of the numbers of troops at camps in the state, and increase in demand, and the expansion of wartime demand for such materials as copper and other metals. Industries expanded, adding to the state's recovery from the Great Depression.