The Point in early 1943. Compared to today, there is nothing much to compare. Bridges, railroads, freight yards, warehouses and a dilpidated Exposition Hall stand where there is now a beautifully landscaped State Park. However, back in 1943 the last thing on the country's agenda was beautifying Pittsburgh. Steel, Steel and more Steel was needed to defeat the Germans and the Japanese. The tide of the war had turned in favor of the Allies, but two difficult years of war lay ahead. The landing craft used in the D-Day invasion were built here in Pittsburgh. When historians discuss the contributions made by the homefront to the war effort, much of the discussion centers on the efforts of the war industry in the Steel City.