When I was in college I had the opportunity to attend a leadership conference that included women involved in the Vietnam Women's Memorial, specifically one of the women that was used as a model for the statue. I always remember her speaking because while she didn't give a hint that she was in trouble, as soon as the speech was over she was escorted to the hospital for blood poisoning. Over time I've forgotten her name but I'll always remember her speech as it really opened my eyes to the lives behind the military 'picture.' By that I mean, you see in the newspaper or online pictures of soldiers in remote locations and they seem so removed from my world that it is hard to relate to them sometimes. It is important to remember that all soldiers are some one's child, they are an individual, and each has a unique story to tell. For that reason I tend to search out books like Women at War: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Conflicts
as they give you a brief look at the people behind the uniform.
This book looks at some of the amazing women who have served, specifically dealing with WWII on. Technically WWI was the first war that American women were allowed to participate in but most were not allowed to serve anywhere other than France and only in the capacity of nurses. This just serves to highlight how far women progressed by WWII. Probably my favorite WWII story in this book is that of Cpl. Barbara Podoski who worked with the OSS. She was at the center of an propaganda operation that was directly responsible for the surrendering of some 600 enemy soldiers.
In 1948, Congress passed legislation allowing women into the regular and reserve forces - with full rank and privileges - although it did exempt them from combat. From this time period comes the story of Col. Ruby Grace Bradley. Although she was told by her recruiter "Now don't worry, you won't be in a war" she served in two and became the most decorated woman in the history of the U.S. Army. She was one of the "Angels in Fatigues" as a POW during WWII and a combat nurse in Korea. In Korea, many nurses were behind the lines but few actually served on the 'official' front lines. In 1951, the war landed on Maj. Bradley's doorstep once again as she worked to evacuate the sick and wounded from a hospital. As chief nurse she refused to leave until all of the patients were loaded, despite sniper bullets and exploding ambulances.
"I don't think I'll forget Vietnam because it changed my trust in people..." Spc5 Karen Irene Offutt is quoted as saying. That seems to sum up so many of the Vietnam stories. Spc5 Sheron Lee Green's story also highlights one of the forgotten aspects of the war - religion. I'll sum it up by saying that children in Catholic orphanages were treated differently than those in Buddhist orphanages. "It wasn't only a war of North and South. It was also a war of Catholic versus Buddhist." I admit that I hadn't really considered that aspect of the Vietnam War until it was pointed out in this book.
The book also includes quite a few stories from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Persian Gulf conflicts. They range from SSgt. Jessica Lee Clement's story in which she was injured and only had a 2% (yes, 2%) chance of survival to Maj. Mary Biglow Krueger's experience treating Afghan women who were seeing a doctor for the first time. This section of the book goes into much more detail on the day to day issues facing women at war - doing laundry, working with men in primitive conditions, dealing with those who feel that women don't belong in the military, etc.
Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it to you. Another book that you might find interesting is Army Strong Women: Building the Next Generation by Melissa Leigh Farmer which shares the stories of women from the Army.
as they give you a brief look at the people behind the uniform.This book looks at some of the amazing women who have served, specifically dealing with WWII on. Technically WWI was the first war that American women were allowed to participate in but most were not allowed to serve anywhere other than France and only in the capacity of nurses. This just serves to highlight how far women progressed by WWII. Probably my favorite WWII story in this book is that of Cpl. Barbara Podoski who worked with the OSS. She was at the center of an propaganda operation that was directly responsible for the surrendering of some 600 enemy soldiers.
In 1948, Congress passed legislation allowing women into the regular and reserve forces - with full rank and privileges - although it did exempt them from combat. From this time period comes the story of Col. Ruby Grace Bradley. Although she was told by her recruiter "Now don't worry, you won't be in a war" she served in two and became the most decorated woman in the history of the U.S. Army. She was one of the "Angels in Fatigues" as a POW during WWII and a combat nurse in Korea. In Korea, many nurses were behind the lines but few actually served on the 'official' front lines. In 1951, the war landed on Maj. Bradley's doorstep once again as she worked to evacuate the sick and wounded from a hospital. As chief nurse she refused to leave until all of the patients were loaded, despite sniper bullets and exploding ambulances.
"I don't think I'll forget Vietnam because it changed my trust in people..." Spc5 Karen Irene Offutt is quoted as saying. That seems to sum up so many of the Vietnam stories. Spc5 Sheron Lee Green's story also highlights one of the forgotten aspects of the war - religion. I'll sum it up by saying that children in Catholic orphanages were treated differently than those in Buddhist orphanages. "It wasn't only a war of North and South. It was also a war of Catholic versus Buddhist." I admit that I hadn't really considered that aspect of the Vietnam War until it was pointed out in this book.
The book also includes quite a few stories from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Persian Gulf conflicts. They range from SSgt. Jessica Lee Clement's story in which she was injured and only had a 2% (yes, 2%) chance of survival to Maj. Mary Biglow Krueger's experience treating Afghan women who were seeing a doctor for the first time. This section of the book goes into much more detail on the day to day issues facing women at war - doing laundry, working with men in primitive conditions, dealing with those who feel that women don't belong in the military, etc.
Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it to you. Another book that you might find interesting is Army Strong Women: Building the Next Generation by Melissa Leigh Farmer which shares the stories of women from the Army.
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