Military Family Communication during the World War Era

Shortly after the Civil War telephones were invented, but they were not the most exciting form of communication that came about during this time. By World War I, the radio had been invented. This made it easier for people to communicate over long distances (country to country), and it made it possible for not only military families to hear about their loved ones, but for the whole nation to rally together in support of the troops.

Film was also a major development at this time, as it allowed for propaganda to be spread easier and faster to the masses. It also allowed for video news to be shared with Americans before television came about.

By the end of World War II, though, television had reached 50 million viewers, and it was a viable way to rely information about the war. Shortly after, shows like 'Hogan's Heroes' were created to parody the war.

Modern movies, like 'Valkyrie' also show us how military units used teleprompter or fax machine type devices to relay information quickly about military plans, deaths, and orders. It would have allowed secretaries to quickly type letters informing the families of soldiers that their loved one had died or gone missing.

This is when basic communication as we know it in a technological era today was formed and first developed to convey news about the home front. It is not only exciting to see how far we have come since then, but to see how far they had come since the Civil War in being able to communicate information from the soldiers to the families.

The following is a link to authentic radio newscasts from 1940-1945. I highly encourage you to have a listen:

http://www.otr.net/?p=news

Next, we will see how communication technology in modern-day can help families communicate with each other.