© 2014 wheresjenny.com Girls in the military GIRLS IN THE MILITARY

© 2014 wheresjenny.com

Girls in the military

GIRLS IN THE MILITARY



Vocabulary

Combat : Fighting between armed forces

Militaristic : Advocating or pursuing an aggressive military policy

Land warrant : A transferable certificate from the land office authorizing a person to assume possession of a specified quantity of public land

Armistice : An agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time

Naval : Relating to a navy or navies

Inclined : Be favourably disposed towards or willing to do something

Abolitionist : A person who favours the abolition of a practice or institution, especially capital punishment or (formerly) slavery



The facts about women in the armed forces:

1. Of the 220,000 soldiers who have fought in the wars since 2001, 11 percent have been women.

2. Of the 5,000 war deaths since 2001, 121 have been women.

3. 66 of those women were killed in combat, the rest died via accidents, illnesses, suicide and friendly fire. 620 women have been wounded.

4. Women only make up 6 percent of the top military ranks. It may seem like a small amount, but in 2008, 57 women served as generals and admirals in the active-duty military which is double the amount from a decade earlier.

5. Last year, a women—Ann E. Dunwoody—became a four-star Army general, the highest rank in today’s military.



6. Many women now lead all-male combat troops into battle.

7. Two women have been awarded Silver Stars, one of the highest honors.

8. Women in the military say that sexual harassment and rape remain a persistent problem.



Joan of Arc : Though she grew up as a peasant

girl in eastern France, today, Joan of Arc stands

as a symbol of the power that women can have

success in a militaristic career. During the

Hundred Years’ War, Joan of Arc helped the

French army to numerous victories in several

different battles. Joan had to adapt to the life of

being a male, which led her to cut her hair and

wear men’s clothing. She was highly successful in

the beginning, winning several different battles

against the Burgundians. Today, she is a saint,

heroine, and has been given the title

“Maid of Orleans.”

Women who changed the face of the military.



Elizabeth C. Newcume : In September 1847, Newcume made her way into the military at Fort Leavenworth in order to fight in the Mexican-American War. Newcume was able to successfully battle against Native Americans in Dodge City. Once it was made public that she was a woman, she was quickly discharged and was never allowed back in. Through a private act of Congress approved on July 19, 1848, Newcume was able to receive a land warrant for 160 acres and pay equal to that of a soldier that was in battle for ten months with an additional three months of payment.



Opha M. Johnson : Opha M. Johnson got her chance to make history on August 12, 1918 when the Secretary of the Navy publically granted total authority for females to enroll for clerical duty in the Marine Corps Reserve. With the news of this, Johnson wasted no time and the next day her name was on the list. She was the first of the 18,000 women who enlisted in the Marines during WW II.



Loretta Walsh : Born in Philadelphia, on April 22, 1896, Loretta Walsh stands as the first woman in the U.S. to enlist in the Navy. She did so on March 17, 1917. A few days later, the eighteen year old became the first female Chief Yeoman. Once armistice was declared, Walsh was put on inactive reserve, but still carried out her duties as a yeoman. She was the first to have identical pay and benefits as the men. Walsh stands as the first of 13,000 women who would go on to enlist in the Navy. Today she is a very important piece of female history as well as naval history.



Oveta Culp Hobby : Colonel Oveta

Culp Hobby stands as the first woman

to be awarded the U.S. Army

Distinguished Service Medal, which she

received in 1945. She was born in

Killeen, Texas. Hobby was given the

job as one of the newspaper’s editors

and often focused on the War

Department’s Women’s Interest section.

However, during the war manpower was

falling short, so Hobby decided to join the

Women’s Army Corps. Hobby continued

to be politically active after her time in

the Army Corps. Hobby has so much

importance that there is a school in

Texas named after her.



Cordelia E. Cook : One of the many medically inclined females on the list, Cordelia E. Cook served as an Army Nurse Corps during WW II and stands as the first woman to receive two awards for her actions during the war. Cook was stationed in Italy and was able to successfully perform her duties as a nurse during a time of tough battles and swarms of wounded and dying soldiers. In 1943 Cordelia E. Cook was awarded the Bronze Star, making her the first woman to ever receive such an award. Soon after, she was also given the Purple Heart, making her the first woman in history to ever receive two very honorable awards for her time and efforts given during WW II.



Mary E. Walker : Born in Oswego, New York into an abolitionist family, Mary Walker today stands as the first and only woman in the entire military force to have ever received the Congressional Medal of Honor for her actions and duties during the Civil War. Before the Civil War broke out, Walker was the only female in her class to graduate with a medical degree. Soon after getting her degree, the war broke out and Walker volunteered to join the Army as a medical officer, but was given a stern “no.” Though discriminated against because of her gender, Walker pushed on, becoming the assistant surgeon in the Army of the Cumberland in 1863.

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© 2014 wheresjenny.com Girls in the military GIRLS IN THE MILITARY