Women In World War 2 Essay, Research Paper

World War II was a turning point for women in American society. The role of women changed and expanded as they entered professional and industrial jobs traditionally reserved for men.

Perhaps it was in the medical field in which women first made the most progress. The critical need for military nurses had been well publicized during the war, and the respect they earned through their efforts was hard-fought. Nurses involved in the mayhem at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941,worked under tremendous pressure, due to a lack of personnel and available resources, in the aftermath of the morning’s raids.

As hundreds of casualties suffering from burns and shock began to arrive at Tripler Army Hospital, the staff was soon overwhelmed. The blood-spattered entrance stairs led to hallways where wounded men lay on the floor waiting for surgery. Army and Navy nurses and medics (enlisted men trained as orderlies) worked side-by-side with civilian nurses and doctors to aid these victims