Hello AskHistorians,

I’ve been binging a few WWII shows and movies lately, and the films focus mostly on the American men overseas. While I do not want to detract from the sacrifices made by soldiers and families in WWII, this focus has me wondering about the men who were not draft-eligible? What was life like for them?

What part did men who were too sick, too small (a la Captain America), too old, etc. play in the war? Did they work in factories along with the women of the time? Did they sell war bond? Did they spiral into depression?

Also, what was the typical opinion of those who were not draft eligible? Did society look down on them? Was there a long-lasting self-hatred for not being able to ‘help out?’

I understand every experience is subjective, but I was wondering if there were any over-arching patterns for these men.

Thank you!

PS: I’m on mobile so please excuse any formatting errors