MGM arranged that the world premiere at the Lowe's Capitol Theatre in Washington, DC in September, 1942 would be a War Bond drive, with better seats going to those that bought more bonds. The effort raised $1,822,675 ($27.24M in 2017).
In the film, Mrs. Hadley's birthday is December 7 and she is dismayed that the events at Pearl Harbor ruin her party. Fay Bainter, who played the title character was born on December 7.
This film did well at the box office, earning MGM a profit of $603,000 ($9M in 2017) according to the studio records.
When Elliott mentions that the Japanese were bombing Manila, even after being declared and open city, that would put the date as on or after January 2, 1942. When the mailman mentions General Douglas MacArthur has arrived in Australia, that date would be March 17, 1942.
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second-highest decoration given by the U.S. Army, only superceded by the Medal of Honor.