Tony Thurmond: “as the United States fought World War II, Americans mobilized in support of the war effort like they never had before.…”

“as the United States fought World War II, Americans mobilized in support of the war effort like they never had before. Everyone was trying to find a way to help our troops battle the Axis and keep the world free and safe. Whether it was children flattening and saving tin cans that were used for scrap metal, or people growing fruits and vegetables in ``Victory Gardens'', everyone tried to find a way to make their own contribution to winning the war and supporting our men and women in uniform. It was at this time that the American Red Cross took on the responsibility of collecting blood that would ultimately be used to help save the lives of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Army Air Corpsmen wounded in action. The efforts of the Red Cross were truly a success as they helped to reduce the death rate among the wounded by fifty percent. For the past fifty years, the American Red Cross has been responsible for administering the Nation's blood supplies and they have done a commendable job in ensuring that the United States has a ready and ample reserve of blood for those who need it.”