I think the reaction to a World War II situation would be the same today as it was in 1942. Initially people would question but once patriotism got stirred up the whole thing would gather momentum and we'd all pull together.
When I seemed to be irritable or sad my father would quote the learned Dr. Knight and then say 'Just go to sleep.' Like all smart aleck kids I thought the advice was silly. But as I've grown older I've realized just how smart Knight was.