Like Kelly and Thomas, Nininger would not survive the war. Commander David McCampbell, who grew up in West Palm Beach, earned a Medal of Honor and other awards as one of the Navy's highest aces in the war. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cockman of Groveland sent eight sons into the armed forces, perhaps the largest number of any Florida family. At least one, Tommy, was killed during the war.

“At this tense hour it is wholly unnecessary to remind you of the fact that we meet at the time of gravest crisis in the life of our Nation.  We are engaged in  a  war  which is challenging our deepest patriotic convictions, and demanding the most effective and sacrificial service can render, as individual citizens and as a member of the family of states.”  

            Virtually without exception, Floridians heeded the governor's call. By 1943, more than 300,000 had volunteered for civilian defense activities, with many more serving in the Red Cross, the U.S.O., on draft and rationing boards, and in many similar agencies.  To help finance the war, Floridians had also purchased more than $145,000,000 in war bonds and stamps  by 1943.

            United behind the war effort as perhaps never before, Floridians joined in both voluntary and mandatory efforts to conserve strategic war materials. Drives to preserve rubber, scrap metals, rags, paper and grease became popular, as did "victory gardens" and "meatless" days to stretch the nation's food resources.

            Shortages and rationing of various goods also became commonplace during the war. Rationing Boards were established in every county with the power to regulate the sale of 90% of all civilian goods. Every man, woman and child in the state received a ration book limiting what could be purchased.  One historian has written that: 

As the war drew on, nearly every item Americans ate, wore, used or lived in was rationed  or otherwise  regulated. It was the most concerted attack on wartime inflation and scarcity in the nation's history and by and large it worked.(2)