CENTENNIAL SUNDAYS
Covering World War II
New Mexico鈥檚 story: One of heroism and sacrifice
Editor鈥檚 note: The Journal continues its Centennial Sundays series with a look at how the Journal covered World War II and the crucial roles New Mexico and New Mexicans played at the front and at home.
New Mexicans played key roles 鈥� and sacrificed greatly 鈥� during World War II, with New Mexico suffering the highest per capita casualty rate of any state in the nation.
Nearly 10% of New Mexico鈥檚 population served in the war, and more than 2,200 soldiers never made it home.
The sa国际传媒官网网页入口 chronicled the events as they occurred, focusing on New Mexicans鈥� stories. The front page on Dec. 8, 1941, not only reported Japan鈥檚 attack on Pearl Harbor, but described how 鈥淣ew Mexico was represented in the new war zone around Manilla, Philippines Islands 鈥︹��
The article goes on to quote New Mexico鈥檚 Lt. Marvin Lucas, who told his wife a week earlier via amateur radio hookup from the Philippines: 鈥淲e鈥檙e ready!鈥�
By the time the Dec. 8 article was published, the Philippines 鈥� and most likely Lt. Lucas 鈥� were under attack.
During the war, the Journal used the word 鈥淛ap鈥� and 鈥淛aps鈥� to describe the Japanese soldiers. But soon after the war, the term became considered a racial slur and the Journal stopped its usage.
Through the decades since World War II, the Journal continued its coverage of New Mexicans who served during World War II, highlighting many heroes鈥� stories. That coverage continues today.
