World War II (1939-1945)

Photographs documenting Camp Swift from the Austin Files collection. Camp Swift began as a United States Army training base built in 1942. It is named after Major General Eben Swift. 2700 buildings were built during World War II, but none of those remain on the site today. At the end of the war, they were sold or donated and relocated. The gymnasium was relocated to Whitney Texas. It is still in use today by the school district. During World War II, German prisoners of war began arriving and at peak numbered 10,000. At the same time, the camp held 90,000 GIs, making it one of the largest army training and transshipment camps in Texas. The 10th Mountain Division trained at Camp Swift in 1944. The 2nd Infantry Division trained there mid 1945 to early 1946. The camp also trained nurses under battlefield conditions. The camp trained some 300,000 soldiers before the war ended. Camp Swift is currently owned by the Texas Army National Guard and acts as a training center for the National and State Guard, active armed forces, law enforcement, high school ROTC and the Civil Air Patrol. The camp is also the primary emergency staging area for Central Texas.

Photographs documenting World War II (September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945) nvolved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers.

Photographs of Victor A. Solimine while stationed at Bergstrom Airforce Base (also known as Del Valle Airfield and then Bergstrom Air Field) during World War II. Solimine was in the Army Air Corps band and some of the photographs show him performing at USO functions, while others document his time with the Army Air Corps. Images are part of the Austin Files Biography collection.

Photographs documenting War Gardens from the Austin Files collection. War Gardens also known as "Victory Gardens" or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I and World War II. In wartime, governments encouraged people to plant victory gardens not only to supplement their rations but also to boost morale. They were used along with Rationing Stamps and Cards to reduce pressure on the public food supply. Besides indirectly aiding the war effort, these gardens were also considered a civil "morale booster" in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. This made victory gardens a part of daily life on the home front.