Reply #6: Just moments before that in the program a much more important 'factoid' was given

[ThomWV]

The narrator said that the US economy began to boom in the two years preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor because of sales (and presumably lend/lease) to the belligerents world-wide.

I might also add this tid-bit for those who are interested. A fellow named H.L. Hunt (name ring a bell?) sold the allied powers 60% of all the petroleum products consumed by the allies during WW-II. You can follow his family line through his two sons who tried their best to corner the world's silver market to his grandson who now is in cahoots with Bush in the rape of our current economy.