Women Veterans: Past, Present and Future Revised and Updated
Women Veterans: Past, Present and Future Revised and Updated September 2007 Office of Policy and Planning Women Veterans: Past, Present, and Future Revised and Updated September 2007 Women are a vital part of the armed forces and the community of veterans. The study of women veterans begins with the history of women in the military and the changing role of women in the military. Women in the Military: A Historical Perspective in Brief Women have served valiantly in America’s wars and conflicts throughout our history. And although women were not formally under military command until the early part of the 20th century, they have served in various capacities, beginning with America’s War of Independence. During the American Revolution, it was not uncommon for wives, mothers, and daughters to follow their male loved ones into battle. While they tended to their men, they were often given rations in exchange for service to the troops, mostly tending to the wounded and serving as cooks, seamstresses, and launderers. Some women distinguished themselves on the battlefield for the Continental Army. For example, Margaret Corbin and Mary McCauley, who was a heroine in the Battle of Monmouth in 1778 and thought to be the model for the legendary Molly Pitcher, fought in the Battle of Fort Washington in 1776 (Holm, pp.3-4). Later during the Civil War, at least 400 women on both sides of the conflict disguised themselves as men and assumed combat roles alongside men. Women in surprisingly large numbers served in other unconventional roles as well, acting as spies, saboteurs, and couriers as well as taking an active part in the execution of the war.
[Show full text]