Patrice Miller
Women Contribution to the World War II
There was an increase in female workers during this time since the males were enlisting in the military to fight in the war. This was a big step up for the women during this time because they were seen as they only need to help around the house. Now the country needed them to work in factories, land army,air force, and navy. Women before this war were viewed as people that stayed home, cooked, clean, watched after the kids, and made sure their husbands were happy. "I think a lot of women said, Screw that noise. 'Cause they had a taste of freedom, they had a taste of making their own money, a taste of spending their own money, making their own decisions. I think the beginning of the women's movement had its seeds right there in World War Two." say Dellie Hahne, an educator who worked as a nurse's aid for the Red Cross during the war.They were also secret agents too during this war. This was a very dangerous job and these women were risk takers. Also this was a smart idea for the military to use. Who would think that a women would be used as a secret agent during this time to spy. The women contributed a lot to the war. At this point it seemed as if the women were becoming equal to the men. They were not as equal but they were equal in that women got to do the same jobs as men but got different pay. Thomas Friedman said "My mom enlisted in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and my parents actually bought our home thanks to the loan she got through the GI Bill". At this point you can see how women have came a long way and they have stood their ground and they now are able to do more than just help around the house they are able to help buy a home. |
African American women were also important here they as well got to contribute in helping with the war. They got to be nurses only 500 African American women got to be a nurse in the army. Eleanor Roosevelt helped women to get where they got to during world war 2 because she spoke about equal opportunity. This was a game changer for the war but also for the history of Women. Susie King Taylor was a phenomenal women during this time she was a nurse, cook, and laundresses. She was also a slave that helped free other slaves. She was very smart she started a school for the black kids and soldiers. She wrote in her diary about the unfair treatments that the African American people faced and she said"The first colored troops did not receive any pay for eighteen months, and the men had to depend wholly on what they received from the commissary...their wives were obliged to support themselves and children by washing for the officers, and making cakes and pies which they sold to the boys in camp. Finally, in 1863, the government decided to give them half pay, but the men would accept none of this... They preferred rather to give their services to the state, which they did until 1864, when the government granted them full pay, with all back due pay." You can see how dedicated the men were to the Army in World War 2. They were just happy to be fighting for their country and to be apart of something.Susie king did not get paid for her services and she said "I was very happy to know my efforts were successful in camp, and also felt grateful for the appreciation of my service. I gave my services willingly for four years and three months without receiving a dollar. I was glad, however, to be allowed to go with the regiment, to care for the sick and afflicted comrades". You can see from those two quotes that the minorities where just happy that they got to play a role in serving their community and I think that is the best and most important part of this whole thing. They where treated so horrible and they where happy to just be apart of history. Even though the women as a whole where not seen as high as men during World War II African American women where seen lower then White American Women during this time. The White Americans got paid while the African Americans did not get paid.
|
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen where very significant to this war. This was important to the African American men because this war their time and chance to change history for their people. They got a chance to become the first whatever and it go down in history and they get to be remembered by many people. This was the first African American Airmen group so the people that started this will go down in history as being somebody other than just being a black man. Not only did they contribute to America winning the war they also contributed to breaking cultural barriers within the African American community and caucasian community. They were well known for the most part in American and they were talked about in a magazine on March 24, 1945, an African American newspaper, the Chicago Defender. These men faced a lot of racism from other people throughout the war. They were strong men to be able to handle the pressure from the war and pressure from the people around them calling them all of type of name and treating them different from the others. Despite everything they wanted to be known and seen when they came and attacked according to Lt. Col. Herbert Carter of the Tuskegee Airmen “We got the reddest paint we could find and painted our aircraft. We wanted the bomber crews to know when we were escorting them and we wanted to make sure the Luftwaffe knew when we were airborne and in their territory”. They destroyed 111 german airplanes, earned 150 distinguished flying crosses, 774 air medals, 8 purple hearts,and 14 bronze stars. Alexander Jefferson who was an airmen aircraft was shot down by the Nazi and he had to be put into the prison camps. He said " he was given more respect by the Germans as a prisoner of war than as a black man back home in America.". That is shame for him to be stranger to the German people and be treated with more respect by them then his own country that he helped fight for. Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd army soldiers were the ones who freed him from the camp.
Canadian Women
Canadian women played a big role in World War 2. Elsie MacGill is one of those many women who played a big role in the Canadian war. She was the first one to get and engineering degree and the first woman aircraft designer. She oversaw the design and creation of the 1450 Hawker Hurricane airplanes in Canada. Women in Canada where allowed to have a title and they were seen as equal to the men. She was not isolated to be a stay at home mom or wife she was able to explore and live her life. Being a women in Canada was different from being a women in America. In 1927 she was working for the Automobile company in Pontiac, Michigan. Women in America where not working at companies like this during that time. So far you can see how different this one women life is compared to women in America. Canadian women had more freedom and rights. You can see that she took pride in her job due to this quote she said "War effort is a man staying and working an extra hour, or two or five hours a day," said MacGill. "It is a woman cutting short her noon hour to get back to finish the job; it is someone taking home his problems to solve them after dinner; it is someone coming back in the evening to finish an assignment. War effort is something, which is as microscopic in the unit as the individual, but as mighty in the sum total as an army.". While women in America took pride too but they took pride due to the fact that they did not care because they had a taste of freedom and making their own money."I think a lot of women said, Screw that noise. 'Cause they had a taste of freedom, they had a taste of making their own money, a taste of spending their own money, making their own decisions. I think the beginning of the women's movement had its seeds right there in World War Two." say Dellie Hahne, an educator who worked as a nurse's aid for the Red Cross during the war. For American women World War marked the beginning for them for the Canadian women it did not mark the beginning.
Bibliography
Munroe, Susan. “Elsie MacGill Biography.” N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://canadaonline.about.com/od/canadawomenww2/p/elsiemacgill.htm>
“Queen Of the Hurricanes.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.cbc.ca/history/episcontentse1ep14ch3pa2le.html>
Shmoop Editorial Team. “World War II: Home Front Quotes.” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., Nov. 2008. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.shmoop.com/wwii-home-front/quotes.html>
“Striking Women.” World War II: 1939-1945. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.striking-women.org/module/women-and-work/world-war-ii-1939-1945>
“A Tuskegee Airman's Harrowing WWII Tale.” NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=6467779>
“Women In Military Service For America Memorial.” Women In Military Service For America Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.womensmemorial.org/education/bbh1998.html>
“World War II Quotes.” BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/world_war_ii_3.html>
Munroe, Susan. “Elsie MacGill Biography.” N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://canadaonline.about.com/od/canadawomenww2/p/elsiemacgill.htm>
“Queen Of the Hurricanes.” CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.cbc.ca/history/episcontentse1ep14ch3pa2le.html>
Shmoop Editorial Team. “World War II: Home Front Quotes.” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., Nov. 2008. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.shmoop.com/wwii-home-front/quotes.html>
“Striking Women.” World War II: 1939-1945. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.striking-women.org/module/women-and-work/world-war-ii-1939-1945>
“A Tuskegee Airman's Harrowing WWII Tale.” NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=6467779>
“Women In Military Service For America Memorial.” Women In Military Service For America Memorial. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.womensmemorial.org/education/bbh1998.html>
“World War II Quotes.” BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/world_war_ii_3.html>