A Research Pathfinder

 In the wake of the December 7th attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the United States officially declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States, who, returning in kind, began immediate preparation for entry into what would eventually become known as World War II (Ojalvo, H.E., 2003).

With millions of men enlisting or being drafted into the military ranks, women were called upon to not only raise their families alone but come out of the home and enter into civilian and military service, filling the positions that the enlisted men left vacant, whether administrative, skilled or unskilled. Despite social stigmas, suspicious male counterparts who questioned their motives, sexuality, morality and abilities, not to mention hours that conflicted with child-rearing and familial responsibilities, they became nurses, factory workers, pilots, stenographers, snipers, bullet inspectors, farmers, ambulance drivers, plane haulers, scrap dealers, welders, cartographers, cryptologists, translators, and police trainers. Some joined the W.A.C. (Women's Army Corps, or you may see it referred to as W.A.A.C, the Women's Army Auxillary Corps) the U.S.O., the W.A.S.P.s (Women's Air-force Service Pilots), became mechanics, farm laborers and more. These resilient, tough, talented and remarkable women took many, if not all of the same jobs as the men before them, but were told, in addition, that it was their patriotic civic duty to maintain a high level, American feminine beauty persona while performing them; clean, coiffed, painted and polished, never a hair out of place. Thus was born the Rosie the Riveter propaganda campaign, influencing women to join the workforce in many capacities, as civilians and eventually military, albeit temporarily.

How did the Women's Army Corp (W.A.C) come to be?

While Congress refused to sign into law the original bill that offered women the chance serve as equals and to receive the same benefits as their male counterparts in the Army during WWII, including fighting overseas, "the final bill represented a compromise between the two sides. The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was established to work with the Army, "for the purpose of making available to the national defense the knowledge, skill, and special training of the women of the nation." The Army would provide up to 150,000 "auxiliaries" with food, uniforms, living quarters, pay, and medical care. Women officers would not be allowed to command men" (Bellafaire, J., 2005).

In 1946, the United States Army formally asked Congress to allow the W.A.C. to become an official military division of the Army. It took two years, but Congress finally added the W.A.C to its official Army roster in 1948. Though its members had to fight for, and were often denied, many veteran's benefits over the decades to come, it was a significant win for the W.A.C., as the United States officially recognized their military role, at home and abroad. Interestingly enough, the W.A.C. was still in operation as a separate Army unit until 1978 when it was absorbed into the broader scope of its traditional ranks.

Although many women were forced out of the workforce when the G.I.'s returned from overseas, they showed a true industrious, indelible spirit and proved to the world that women can not be contained into any idealized stereotype. They can be traditionally soft and beautiful of course, but also bold, brave, strong, gritty and tough; as industrious, creative, resilient, determined and intelligent as their male counterparts. The contribution of their tenacity, versatility and sacrifice was most eloquently summed up by the women themselves: "On a plaque overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge at the Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Richmond's Marina Bay, a shipyard worker is quoted, 'You must tell your children, putting modesty aside, that without us, without women, there would have been no spring in 1945' " (Oakland Museum of California, 2012).

Of the 150,000 women serving as W.A.C.'s during WWII, "Ten women received the Soldier's Medal for heroic actions (not involving combat). Sixteen women received the Purple Heart, awarded during World War II to soldiers injured due to enemy action, the majority of them receiving their injuries from exploding V-l bombs while stationed in London. The Bronze Star was awarded to 565 women for meritorious service overseas. A total of 657 W.A.C.s received medals and citations at the end of the war" (Bellafaire, J.A., 2005). This does not include those non-service personnel, such as the Women's Air-force Service Pilots (or W.A.S.P.s), 38 of whom died during the war, who waited to receive their veteran status until 1977, though they were denied burial in Arlington National Cemetery. They then waited another 32 years to receive the Congressional gold medal, the highest available civilian honor, in 2009.

References

Bellafair, J.A., (2005). The Women's Army Corps: A commemoration of World War II Service. [Brochure]. Washington,   

     DC: United States Army. Retrieved from http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/WAC/WAC.HTM

Ojalvo, H. E.. (August 31, 2010). Historic headlines: World War II. New York Times. Retrieved from

     http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/historic-headlines-world-war-ii/.

Oakland Museum of California. (2012). World War II home front era: 1940's: Women replace men in the workforce.

     Retrieved from http://museumca.org/picturethis/timeline/world-war-ii-homefront-era-1940s/women-labor/info