Visualizing: Women and the Veterans History Project

The United States military has never fought a war without women. From the American Revolution to the conflicts of our lifetime, women have served in recognized and unrecognized roles. With time, the work performed by American military women has expanded from support roles and medical work to direct combat.  

The Veterans History Project includes oral histories from some 52 women. As participants in conflicts ranging from WWII to Iraq and Afghanistan, these veterans offer a valuable perspective on women in the US military.

Most veterans interviewed for the Veterans History Project participated in WWII, and the same is true for the subset of female vets. Many served specifically in the Nurse Corps, which predates WWI.  

Our archive also features two WASPs: Women Airforce Service Pilots: Anita Matthew and Jane Miller. This branch of federal service technically wasn’t a part of the military. They worked to test and ferry airplanes on the Homefront, freeing up male pilots for combat roles. Some 1,000 women flew as WASPs over the course of the war.

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Nursing remained a predominantly female profession in the 20^th century military. In the Vietnam War, Air Force Nurses played a crucial role in the medevac system. Minutes can make the difference with combat trauma wounds, and the Vietnam war saw servicewomen operating a rapid, complex medical system to transport and treat the wounded in Vietnam and nearby allied Asian countries.  

Throughout the 20^th century, the US military worked slowly to more fully accept the reality of American women in uniform. Besides permitting women to serve in more roles and at higher ranks, the military has attempted a culture change to support soldiers regardless of gender.

However, sexual assaults and harassment problems persist into the present, each incident a betrayal of comrades in service.

In the 21^st century, lengthy debate surrounded the service of women in front-line combat units. In 2015, the US military at last made the decision to integrate combat units, a process that is still underway.

American women have spent centuries supporting the US combat mission, and experienced countless incidents when unconventional warfare put them directly under fire. Full integration remains an ongoing process, even as women continue to face combat in the varying support roles that have evolved with technology and warfare itself. 

In some ways, the changing roles of women in the military has paralleled changes to the fabric of American society. In this way, and many others, the experience of veterans reflects the nation they serve.