Beyond Rosie: How Women Served in Wartime

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*“Pay day,” Third WAAC Training Center, Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga., near Chattanooga, Tenn., 1930-1945. (Wikimedia Commons)*

Women are often the unsung heroes during war, especially prior to World War I. (It was during that conflict they were finally permitted to enlist.) Because they often serve in unofficial, unrecognized capacities, documentation for women in wartime can be difficult (even impossible) to locate. Still, no official record doesn’t equal no service!

WWII Women's Army Corps recruitment poster, an example of women in wartime. — *Women’s Army Corps recruitment poster used during WWII. (Library of Congress)*

As with any female ancestor research, sometimes it takes a little thinking outside the box to discover a wartime connection. Perhaps your relative aided the United States Sanitary Commission during the Civil War, or maybe she worked in a factory during World War II. Records such as meeting minutes or employment documents may be available for research. A great place to start is your local library.

From nurses to abolitionists to test pilots, here are some of the many ways women aided in the major US conflicts of the past. Was your female ancestor among them?

Revolutionary War	Civil War	WWI	WWII
Nurse	Nurse	Army Nurse Corps	Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs/Women’s Army Corps)
Seamstress	Matron	Navy Nurse Corps	Navy Women’s Reserve (WAVES)
Cook	Cook	Navy “Yeomanette”	Marine Corps Women’s Reserve
Maid	Laundress	Women’s Land Army (Britain)	Coast Guard Women’s Reserve
Laundress	Vivandière	Clerical (various)	Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS)
Water-bearer	Solider	Switchboard operator	Army Nurse Corps
Supply scavenger	Spy	Clerk	Navy Nurse Corps
Matross	Scout	Typist	Women’s Land Army (Britain)
Soldier	Arsenal factory worker	Stenographer	Code breaker
Spy	Ladies’ Aid Society member	Translator	Clerical (various)
Political activist	United States Sanitary Commission member	Canteen hostess	Truck driver
	Underground Railroad conductor	Ammunition tester	Airplane mechanic
	Abolitionist	Stock taker	Laboratory technician
		Salvation Army volunteer	Parachute rigger
		Red Cross volunteer	Radio operator
		Ambulance driver	Photograph analyzer
			Pilot/ test pilot

This list is by no means meant to be exhaustive. It is, however, fascinating to see how the list of roles grows longer with each major conflict. So yes, women have played—and continue to play—an enormous role in serving our country. “We can do it!”—because we always have, and always will.