Placer High School 1940-1949: World War II affects school in many ways

This is the sixth in a series commemorating Placer High School. To celebrate the school's 125-year anniversary, a school and community celebration will be held Oct. 1, sponsored by the Hillmen Foundation. World War II The world war played a dominant role during most of the decade for the students and staff at Placer High School. The most dramatic event was the removal of Japanese students in 1942 following President Franklin Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 that incarcerated people of Japanese descent, including U.S. citizens, in isolated camps throughout the country. Suddenly, boys and girls who had been classmates, teammates, bandmates and friends were no longer on campus and would not return for three years. The 1942 graduation took on a somber mood, as all four speeches carried war themes – "The Nature of Our Enemy," "We Fight a Global War," "An Awakened America" and "Victory of the Peace." The yearbook editors worried that, "This may be the last edition for several years ..." Principal John Napier warned, "There will be dark days ahead, but stout and loyal hearts will carry you through to the bright sunlight of peace and prosperity which lies beyond the immediate national crisis." Many boys quit school and joined the armed services. The 1944 Potpourri was dedicated "to the boys serving in the trenches in one of the armed forces of the U.S. who otherwise would be part of the graduating class of 1944." That year, George Goddard, a 15-year-old freshman, served nine months in the merchant marines before his age was discovered and he was discharged. But not before his ship was torpedoed off the coast of Brazil and he was adrift for 11 hours before being rescued. The Cadet program returned for the first time since 1920, and a rifle range of eight lanes was constructed in the basement of the gymnasium. Curriculum Three "Victory Periods" lasting eight weeks each were added to the daily curriculum during third period to prepare students for service to their country. Courses such as code communication, first aid, electrics, boxing and girls machine shop were offered. Once students determined their place in the war effort, they joined one of five special divisions – Land, Sea, Air, Production or Community Service. The school also flew three flags – United States, California and Victory. Another student newspaper was formed, named the "Victory Digest." Activities Students contributed to the war effort in a myriad of ways. One year, the Junior Red Cross Club sent 47 sweaters, 13 caps and three pairs of socks to Great Britain. The Girls Glee Club made menu cards for a dinner given by the soldiers of Camp Flint and contributed garments to the Red Cross for children overseas. The Junior American Women's Volunteer Services Club made Christmas gifts for sailors and DeWitt patients. Student Body officers put on Defense Stamp dances at the school and State Theatre to promote the sale of war savings bonds and stamps. They also held salvage drives to save iron, rubber and copper for the war effort. In 1943, the Block P Society made a plaque naming every Block P member in the armed services and identifying each member killed in action during World War II. Even the Freshman Picnic took on a war effort stance. Held annually at the Auburn Country Club, in 1943, students hiked to the location as a means of conserving tires and gas for the war effort. Student life In 1945, Japanese students returned and once again contributed to life, sports and activities at Placer. After the war, life returned to normal on the campus. Fashion at the time featured Levi's for the boys and pleated skirts for the girls. Both wore V-neck sweaters or vests, the girls using scarves as accessories, the boys with wide shirt collars out. In 1948, freshman initiation was still occurring. One day was set aside by the administration for Freshman Initiation. The newbies had to scrub the fountain with toothbrushes, polish seniors' shoes and measure around the main building with sticks of gum. Although still not able to compete in interscholastic competitive sports, girls made their presence known in 1949 when Barbara Billings became the first female student body president. Sports The war impacted sports as well. In 1942, the basketball team lost to Lodi 28-27 on a neutral court in Sacramento. The original game in Lodi was blacked out by an air-raid alarm. Coach Kendall Arnett initiated the first Block P Patriotic basketball tournament, sometimes known as the Victory Tournament. The winning school, Folsom, received a $25 war bond. The tourney would later be named in his honor and become the oldest basketball tournament in Northern California. Originally, it was a one-day event featuring eight teams and 10 games from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Preliminary rounds were five-minute quarters while the championship game had eight-minute quarters. Placer finally won the tournament in 1948, beating San Juan 27-20. Arnett also coached baseball. He took over the team in the last six games of 1942 when coach Jack Horner was drafted into the Army. Arnett won SFL titles in 1948 and 1950. Ralph LeFebvre, a 1923 graduate of the school who served as a custodian for several years, earned an emergency teaching credential from Sacramento State in 1944 and began coaching with his former high school coach, Earl Crabbe. LeFebvre went on to become a coaching legend and have the football stadium named in his honor upon his retirement. Howard Woodside also joined the coaching faculty and during Victory periods he taught wrestling and tumbling to prepare students for the war effort. He went on to a lengthy career coaching several sports at the high school and Sierra College. The football team won back-to-back SFL titles 1943 and 1944 but would not reach such heights again until the next decade.