University of Nevada
Oral History Program
Mail Stop 324
Reno, NV 89557-0099
775/784-6932
Fax: 775/784-1365
E-mail: ohp@unr.nevada.edu
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Room 109 of the Mack Social Science Building on the University of Nevada, Reno campus
Women in World War II Service During World War II, women entered military service in unprecented numbers, serving as auxiliary forces for the army and navy, thus freeing up men for combat. Women's experiences differed widely depending upon the group with which they were affiliated. The army and navy each had their own regulations as to women's roles. In the navy, WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) could not serve upon a ship, nor go overseas until the end of the war, so most worked on naval bases in support or clerical roles. In the army and air force (which was still a part of the army during the war), women served in many different positions with the WACs (Women's Army Corps, previously the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps), the WASPs (Women Air Service Pilots), or as nurses. Beyond regular wartime hardships, those who served with these groups experienced other problems as well. Women in the WASPs flight-tested planes and also ferried them around North America and to Europe, but many of them faced gender discrimination and sexual harassment from male instructors and pilots who thought women were incapable of flying or that it was a man’s job. Black women in various military branches experienced not only gender but racial discrimination, with their training and assignments being strictly limited, in most cases, to menial work like laundry or mess duties. Still, the women carried out their commitments. Other women during the war worked with the American Red Cross, serving overseas. In this capacity, they were responsible for providing support and recreation to the troops in the rear areas, and they were stationed throughout Europe. The experiences of women serving in World War II, whether in the army, navy, or the Red Cross, illustrate the contribution these individuals made to the Allies’ victory. The war opened up new opportunities for women that did not exist before the war in military and civilian life. |
