Women In World War II

“War will exact its victims of both sexes,” Belle Boyd mused, “and claims the hearts of women no less than the bodies of men.” When the United States had gone to war for World War II, women were left in charge of the household since the men had to leave the country. As men were fighting in World War II, women had taken over the workforce in company factories or organizations. This was a big step for women because they finally got to experience what being independent felt like. However, although many women liked the workforce department other women wanted to do more for their country. Most women did not want to be simple housewives or workers because they thought it made them feel inferior to men. So, during World War II women joined the army.

In fact, women who joined the army disguised themselves as men. Be that as it may, there was still over more than one-third of women that made up the civilian labor force while over three hundred fifty thousand served in military units. Although there was a large mobilization of women fighting among men in World War II, there were four women who made a huge impact in American history. These women included Emma Edmondson, Belle Boyd, and Elizabeth Van Lew. Each, in her own way, was a liar, a temptress, a soldier, and a spy, often all at

She had changed her attire and her name to Franklin Thompson. By the beginning of July, Edmondson, or Thompson, had started basic training to become an active Union soldier. Thompson trained for over six weeks while patiently waiting for orders to be carried out to march on Virginia. She’d, or he’d, never expected to join an army or fight in a war--although a sharpshooter, he had yet to aim his gun at a man--but when President Lincoln called for volunteers, he posed the question to God, who made the decision for him. Before Thompson could join the army, a doctor examined his appearance. When the doctor measured Thompson’s height, he was two inches shorter than the average Union army recruit. However, Thompson was still solid and he told the doctor that he was nineteen years old, but would be twenty years old in December. The doctor skimmed his eyes a couple more times until he picked up Thompson’s hand. “Well,” the doctor said, “what sort of living has this hand earned?” “Up to the present,” he replied, “that hand has been chiefly engaged in getting an education.” Without further questioning the doctor marked Thompson down to serve as an official Union