The Gross National Debt was around a quarter of a billion dollars in 1940 and has grown constantlyu ever since. This is not the same as the annual deficity/surplus which is a one year quick snapshot only.
Here are the figures for the Gross National Debt from the Dept of the US Treasury:
2005 (Estimate) $6,118,364 million
2004 (Estimate) $6,033,583 million
2003 (Estimate) $5,946,792 million
2002 (Estimate) $5,854,990 million
2001 (Estimate) $5,768,957 million
2000 (Estimate) $5,686,338 million
1999 $5,606,087 million
1998 $5,478,711 million
1997 $5,369,694 million
1996 $5,181,921 million
1995 $4,921,005 million
1994 $4,643,691 million
1993 $4,351,403 million
1992 $4,002,123 million
1991 $3,598,485 million
1990 $3,206,564 million
1989 $2,868,039 million
1988 $2,601,307 million
1987 $2,346,125 million
1986 $2,120,629 million
1985 $1,817,521 million
1984 $1,564,657 million
1983 $1,371,710 million
1982 $1,137,345 million
1981 $ 994,845 million
1980 $ 909,050 million
1979 $ 829,470 million
1978 $ 776,602 million
1977 $ 706,398 million
Transition Quarter
$ 643,561 million
1976 $ 628,970 million
1975 $ 541,925 million
1974 $ 483,893 million
1973 $ 466,291 million
1972 $ 435,936 million
1971 $ 408,176 million
1970 $ 380,921 million
1969 $ 365,769 million
1968 $ 368,685 million
1967 $ 340,445 million
1966 $ 328,498 million
1965 $ 322,318 million
1964 $ 316,059 million
1963 $ 310,324 million
1962 $ 302,928 million
1961 $ 292,648 million
1960 $ 290,525 million
...
1952 $ 259,097 million
1951 $ 255,288 million
1950 $ 256,853 million
1949 $ 252,610 million
1948 $ 252,031 million
1947 $ 257,149 million
1946 $ 270,991 million
1945 $ 260,123 million
Regards,
A