The story of the sweeping social transformation that rocked American society during the years of WWII. This was a chaotic time, full of promise and fear. Opportunities abounded as old taboos fell away. As men left their jobs to enlist in the armed forces, millions of women joined the labor force as factories expanded to fill the needs of wartime productions. The film uses the period's newsreels, propaganda, documentaries, movies, music and humor to show how traditional American ideals, lifestyles, morals and ethics changed during the war. Episode 1. A string of pearls (25 min.) -- episode 2. On the shady side of the street (25 min.) -- episode 3. It's been a long, long time (25 min.).