As World War I raged across the globe, hundreds of young women toiled away at the radium-dial factories, where they painted clock faces with a mysterious new substance called radium. Assured by their bosses that the luminous material was safe, the women themselves shone brightly in the dark, covered from head to toe with the glowing dust. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" were considered the luckiest alive--until they began to fall mysteriously...

Stranded in New York throughout World War II, aspiring actress Rosie Winter struggles with the news that her ex-boyfriend may not be returning to her and jumps at an offer to perform with the USO Camp Shows at the side of her best friend, a tour that proves unexpectedly grueling and dangerous.

Tells the story of ordinary people in four quintessentially American towns - Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; and Luverne, Minnesota - and examines the ways in which the Second World War touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America.

20 documentaries originally released between 1940 and 1947; films include appearances by Ronald Reagan, James Stewart and Clark Gable.

"During World War II, women in Minnesota-like women across the country-made bold, unconventional, and important contributions to the war effort. They enlisted in all branches of the military and worked for the military as civilians. They labored in factories, mines, and shipyards. They were also tireless peace activists, and they worked to relocate interned Japanese American citizens and European refugees. They served as cryptologists, journalists,...