American Women & War

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Military Women Video

This video depicts the actuality of war experiences these women soldiers face. It is an eye opener for those who do not understand the combat these women experience (although they still are not legally allowed to). Injury and death are not limited to one gender, but instead they are undeniable issues both men and women soldiers face.

Reference

CBS News. (Producer) (n.d.). Women tell stories on frontlines [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dihyLQ3j8RU&feature=player_embedded

War On Terror

War On Terror

With this war being not only the most recent, but also still current today, it is made available that the women fighting in the War in Iraq are granted the most women's rights out of all the wars. With many women soldiers high up in the ranks, it is clear that this is the largest mark of equality the United State's military has ever seen. Female combat is a very debatable subject today, because there are no front lines in Iraq or Afghanistan, and women soldiers are unclear on what is considered "combat". Many state that they do just about everything their fellow male soldiers do.

One of the most deadliest attacks on U.S women soldiers during this war was when 14 women Marines were injured or killed in a truck driving to their American base. A car approached them packed with explosives, which severely burned the women. It is known that two women died immediately.

More than ever before, there is an underlying appreciation for military women in the Iraq War. These are women who have families at home awaiting their return, and although this was the case for women soldiers all along, people today recognize their efforts with much more fondness.

References

Mama Birds a History of Women in The Air Force. (Photographer). (n.d.). Women soldiers. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.historymj.com/students/old/trotter/modern.htm

Wong, K. (2011, May 30). Women fighting and dying in war, despite preclusion from ground combat. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/US/women-fight-iraq-afghanistan-preclusion-ground-combat/story?id=13716419

The Persian Gulf War

Also known as Operations Desert Shield and Storm, the Persian Gulf War was a remarkably short war. This war had the largest amount of military women in history. Federal law still prohibited women from being in direct combat, but the women from this war still had achieved new frontiers for combat. They were involved in the operation of jets, trucks, etc.

This war surprised Americans at home, because they didn't know women would be so involved. The New York Times reported that the difference between combat and noncombat was "razor-thin" (para. 4). Although women were in this noncombat zone, unfortunately, it did not prevent some women from being killed. For the female soldiers who did return home, they were reportedly cheered along with the men.

Congress took a second look at the pre-exsisting combat restrictions for women of war. Sure enough, Congress eventually repealed laws banning women from flying in combat. Following in 1993, was another repeal, allowing women to join in combat aboard ships.

References

Nordheimer , J. (1991, May 26). Women's role in combat: The war resumes. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/military-gulf.html

Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation Inc. (n.d.). Women in us military- persian gulf war . Retrieved from http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/rr/s01/cw/students/leeann/historyandcollections/collections/photopages/phespersgulf.html

Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation. (Photographer). (1991). Duty station in the gulf. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/rr/s01/cw/students/leeann/historyandcollections/collections/photopages/phespersgulf.html

Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation. (Photographer). (1991). Helicopter pilot in headquarters . [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/rr/s01/cw/students/leeann/historyandcollections/collections/photopages/phespersgulf.htmlHel

Many Firsts

Many Firsts For Woman Soldiers

Between 1970-1990, many women were granted more privileges in the United State's military. Some major gains for these women included: promotions to brigadier generals, rear admirals, major generals, officers, pilots, and technicians. The ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps.) also opened up for women's enrollment. Lastly, in 1973 the drafted ended, making citizen's involvement in the military solely voluntary.

According to Women In Military Services For America Memorial, in 1978 the Coast Guard opened all assignments up to women (p. 14). In addition, the Women's Army Corps. or WAC was dissolved, and women were integrated into the regular Army.This was a time when equality really took a forward motion for women in the United States military.

References

Syracuse University. (Photographer). (n.d.). Rotc. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://armyrotc.syr.edu/

Women in Military Service For America Memorial Foundation Inc. (n.d.). Highlights in the history of military women. Retrieved from http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/timeline.html

The Vietnam War

Women experienced for the first time during the Vietnam War some field training, like being taught to fire weapons, work compasses, and march in sync with other soldiers. The nurses for the Vietnam War were required to deal with serious injuries, due to the weapons and bombs involved with this war. According to M. Carlson author of the Vietnam Conflict, "Approximately 60 percent of the nurses who arrived in Vietnam had had less than two years medical training and of this 60 percent, most had had less than six months" (para. 7). Nothing totally prepared this Army and Navy nurses better than the actual experience of being on the battlefield and in hospitals.

It is known that women during the Vietnam War were affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder just like male soldiers were. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by a change in personality or anxiety tolerance due to a major event that involved the threat of injury or death. Sadly, these women did not receive help like male soldiers did from the Veterans Administration. They were denied counseling to help relieve their PTS symptoms.

During the Vietnam War, more specifically the Panama Invasion, the first command for combat was made by a woman named Linda Bray. She directed troops from a distance to invade, which went down in records and made a mark history. The Vietnam Conflict stated that a New York Times/CBS New's Poll showed that 72 percent thought that women should be allowed to be in combat if they desire to. Due to the fact that they could not join in combat, many critics argue that women soldiers were at a greater risk for death and injury, because while they were still stationed close to the battlefields like male soldiers, their lack of combat training increased their chances of getting hurt or potentially killed.

References

Carlson, M. (n.d.). The vietnam conflict: Women and the unknown solider. Retrieved from http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/bestresearch_womensoldiers.html

Women in Military Service For America Memorial Foundation Inc. (n.d.). Highlights in the history of military women. Retrieved from http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/timeline.html

(2012). U.s marine corps lav-25 in panama. (2012). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_invasion_of_Panama

The Korean War

The Korean War

This war is commonly referred to as a "Forgotten War". Americans had just got out of WW2 nearly five years before, and were already facing another war that they were unprepared for. The American Army's military personnel was low, so many women who served in WW2 were involuntarily called back to serve for the Korean War. The Department of Defense had a nationwide recruiting campaign to make military service seem more appealing.

Women who were nurses were stationed in Europe, Japan, and Korea (right along the battle lines. A major problem American nurses were faced with was frostbite, due to the first cold winter during the war. The Army actually established a special cold injury center in Japan for these victims. It was during this war that Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals were formed, and they were very successful. Battle wounds were treated much better than what was recorded from WW2.

According to Women In Military Services For America Memorial, the Navy had expanded opportunities for women during the Korean War. During World War Two, Navy women were only permitted to cover territories such as Hawaii and Alaska. In the Korean War though, Navy women were allowed to cover Hawaii, Alaska, France, Italy, England and the Philippines (para. 5). This expansion can be said for every branch of the U.S military. With every war that passed, the roles of women improved.

Just this year marked the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. Many women veterans were recognized for their services.

References

Leipold, J. D. (2012, March 14). Women veterans mark 60th anniversary of korean war. Washington Press. Retrieved from http://www.army.mil/article/75736/Women_veterans_mark_60th_anniversary_of_Korean_War/

Naval History and Heritage Command (Photographer). (n.d.). Uss valley forge. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/kowar/kowar.htm

Women in Military Service For America Memorial Foundation Inc. (n.d.). Highlights in the history of military women. Retrieved from http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/timeline.htm

World War Two

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, women were authorized by congress to serve with the United State's Coast Guard, Army, Marines, and Navy, so they did just that. Around 400,000 women served, 432 died, and 88 were prisoners of war. They helped with every aspect of the war except direct combat.

The Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. (WAAC) was established in 1942, which changed into Women's Army Corps. (WAC) in 1943. A lady named Oveta Culp Hobby became the first director of WAAC. This group would seek for authorization from the government for women's involvement in the Army. According to the National Women's History Museum, "Hobby told the first WAAC officer candidate class, "You are the first women to serve...Never forget it...you have a debt and a date…A debt to democracy, a date with destiny.” Hobby impacted American history by her services. Also around this time, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) was created to recruit women into the Navy, the Marine Corps. Women's Reserve was created to recruit women into the Marines, and the Women's Reserve known as SPARS was created to recruit women into the Coast Guard. All three of these groups had similar goals to that of the WAAC.

Army and Navy nurses continued to grow during WW2. Their numbers rose to around 59,000 for the Army and 11,000 for the Navy.The top left picture depicts a Army Nurse preforming a proper injection. The top right picture is from a 1945 magazine showing that women in the military can be both strong and feminine. The female image had revolved from the what was once a women in a dress standing in the kitchen to a woman with lipstick a hard hat and boots. The National Advertising Council promoting ads like this, because it promoted military involvement and help. The government was attempting to launch a propaganda campaign to actually encourage women to find their place in either the military or industries, corporations, and factories. Rosie the Riveter was a major icon during the propaganda campaign. Rosie the Riveter was first published on The Saturday Evening Post, and she received a lot of attention. She promoted courage, determination, hard work, and beauty. There are many versions of Rosie, but the most popular is shown to the left.

References

Barewalls. (Photographer). (n.d.). We can do it. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.barewalls.com/pv-466620_Rosie-The-Riveter--We-Can-Do-It.htm

National Women's History Museum. (Photographer). (2007). The american. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/2.htm

National Women's History Museum. (Producer). (1942).Nurses corps. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/4.htm

Sorensen, A. (2004). Rosie the riveter: Women working during world war two. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/pwro/collection/website/rosie.htm

Women in Military Service For America Memorial Foundation Inc. (n.d.). Highlights in the history of military women. Retrieved from http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/timeline.html