Women at War

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Women at War

Since the creation of human's, women have never had the opportunity to be that a contributing factor in the starting or stopping of a war. Not even until recently, was it even convincing to hear of women working in a career field in the military that had the slightest chance of going into a combat zone. When you think about an image of war, what do you see? If you are like most, you see a battlefield that is filled with men fighting each other and in the distant background are the women.

In centuries past, men and women have had different responsibilities. It was up to the men to get the food and to protect the family while women were in charge of taking care of the household. Over time this old adage held true, but at the outbreak of World War I, there was a need for more manpower so women were being allowed into the military to serve in certain career fields.

During the buildup for the start of America's involvement in World War I, the military was trying to solve an emerging manpower crisis. In 1917, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels found a small loophole in the Naval recruiting regulations. He brought up the question of "Is there any regulation which specifies that a Navy yeoman be a man?" In no time at all, the Navy was enlisting women into such fields as clerks, radio electricians, chemists, accountants, telephone operators, and nurses. This move also got the Army to look at their own recruiting openings. When the Army began to recruit women, they decided to take a more conservative approach by allowing just nurses as well as a small number of occupational therapists and dieticians (Women were vital to military success in war).

Many other firsts came about as a result of World War I. ...

... middle of paper ...

... 1948, this perspective had change. Since World War I, the role that women have played in the military has grown tremendously over time.

Today women make up eleven percent of the military and are serving in almost all aspects. And it all started eighty-three years ago during World War I.

REFERENCES

http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/awards/witnesstowar/witness1.html.

WW I left its enduring mark.

http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/awards/witnesstowar/guide.html.

Background on Women in World War I.

http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/awards/witnesstowar/womenatwar.html.

Women were vital to military success in war.

http://www.wasp-wwii.org/wasp/stats.htm. WASP Entrance Requirements.

http://www.usmc.mil/history.nsf/54d36a3…59c642?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=13,11. World War II.

http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/Philippines.html.

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