alternatehistory.com

I have read a lot of stories of at the end of WW 2 a lot of war materials was destroyed. Weapons, ammo, transportation equipment, construction equipment, and so on was dumped into the ocean or scrapped. I had read that Eisenhower wanted money to instead collect and store the materials. However there was no support for that.

What if instead the WW 2 materials were collected and stored. I could see the US government using the surplus in Korea, support for the French in IndoChina, support for the Philippines against their rural insurgency, and so on. I know that some people had said that some of the equipment was of poor quality. I am thinking that it would be easier to inspect and sort the equipment than building new equipment. Also transportation and construction equipment could be an quick and easy way to provide foreign aid to less developed countries who we wanted on our side.

Also, I know that one American concern was that the surplus equipment if made available in the US would depress the production of new equipment. With the Great Depression only a few year ago, they wanted to have the American factories making new equipment and hiring returning GI's.

Does any one have an opinion on what would be the impact be of the WW 2 equipment saved and available for later use.
Top