Today in World War II History—Mar. 20, 1944
Wednesday, March 20, 2019 by Sarah Sundin
African-American crewmen of the destroyer escort USS Mason, Boston Navy Yard, MA, 20 March 1944 (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—Mar. 20, 1944: Countdown to D-day: Gen. Harry Crerar replaces Gen. Kenneth Stuart over First Canadian Army, which will land at Juno Beach on D-day.
Destroyer escort USS Mason is commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard, the first US Navy ship with a predominately African-American enlisted crew.
US Office of Price Administration announces continuation of shoe rationing, allowing for purchase of two leather pairs per year (Read more: “Make It Do—Shoe Rationing in World War II”).
The novel Strange Fruit is banned in Boston and Detroit for “lewdness”; namely, an interracial romance.
