We think of men going off to battle, but when
a nation goes to war, it has always been an equal opportunity event.
Women are participating in this war even as fighter pilots but women
have distinguished themselves in wartime, in a thousand ways, proving
their courage and their patriotism on every front, since our country
was formed.
In 1776, the Daughters of Liberty, responsible for the success of
the American boycott of British tea, organized throughout the colonies
to help finance George Washington’s army by going door-to-door
collecting funds. Women made uniforms for the soldiers, and arranged
for food and medicine. Some women chose to travel with the army. Margaret
Corbin assumed her husbands gunnery position when he was killed by
Hessians. Deborah Sampson enlisted as a man and was wounded twice
in battle. When, the British occupied Lydia Darragh’s home she
memorized the attack plans she overheard, saving Washington’s
army.
During the Civil war, Mary Bickerdyke, a nursing volunteer, served
under fire in nineteen battles. Besides supervising nurses staff and
distributing supplies, she organized diet kitchens, laundries and
an ambulance service. Clara Barton operated a large-scale war relief
operation herself, arranging huge quantities of supplies for the army
and the hospitals. Her Civil War work was the foundation for the Red
Cross. An estimated 6000 women served as nurses for the union army.
Mary Livermore tirelessly organized over 300 groups to implement sanitary
conditions at Union camps. Mehitabel Woods of Iowa secured a commissary
wagon and made supply runs to the front lines, routinely passed through
when she told guards “I’m going to see my sons, all of
whom are in the army.”
Women were proud to offer their skills in WWI. By June of 1918, 2000
regular army nurses and 10,000 reserve nurses were on active duty
at 198 stations worldwide. When the armistice was signed, there were
21,480 army nurses on active duty.
Six months after Pearl Harbor, 12,000 nurses joined the Army Nurse
Corps and over 27,000 newly inducted nurses graduated from army training
centers from 1943-1945. It is a tribute to the 500 nurses who served
as members of the medical air evacuation transport squadrons that
only 46 of 1,176,000 patients air evacuated during the war died en
route.
Over 100 military nurses were captured when Bataan and Corregidor
fell; 77 remained in a Japanese concentration camp for over 3 years.
Six nurses were killed by a Japanese suicide attack. Lt. Fern Wingerd,
wounded when the 95the EVAC was bombed at Anzio, recovered in time
to wade ashore with the 7th army in France. Over 59,000 American nurses
served in the Army Nurse Corp during WWII. Army and Navy Nurses received
over 1600 citations and commendations for their courage and dedication.
Sixteen were awarded posthumously.
Over 500 nurses and medical specialists served in Viet Nam. Lieutenant
Jan Lombardi, evacuated dozens of sick and wounded at Da Nang in 1968,
becoming the first combat decorated female in American history.
Such facts don’t even hint at the immeasurable impact women
made who were not engaged in the hostilities.
Beyond the sacrifices requested and required by their country, women
have, by their industry, economy, innovation, and fortitude, sustained
this nation in the most terrible of times. Through all the wars, through
all the days of uncertainty, deprivation, loss, and fear, women have
been participants in the fullest measure.
Many times we have given our sons. Always, we have given our hearts.
What we ask out of this war is that the world be made fit and safe
to live in.
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