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United States Armed Forces: Difference between revisions
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Women experienced combat as nurses in the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] on 7 December 1941, before the U.S. officially entered the war. In 1944, WACs arrived in the Pacific and in Normandy. During the war, 67 Army nurses and 16 [[United States Navy Nurse Corps|Navy nurses]] were captured and spent three years as Japanese prisoners of war. There were 350,000 American women who served during World War II, and 432 were killed in the line of service.{{r|desimone}} In total, they gained over 1,500 medals, citations, and commendations. | Women experienced combat as nurses in the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] on 7 December 1941, before the U.S. officially entered the war. In 1944, WACs arrived in the Pacific and in Normandy. During the war, 67 Army nurses and 16 [[United States Navy Nurse Corps|Navy nurses]] were captured and spent three years as Japanese prisoners of war. There were 350,000 American women who served during World War II, and 432 were killed in the line of service.{{r|desimone}} In total, they gained over 1,500 medals, citations, and commendations. | ||
After World War II, demobilization led to the vast majority of serving women being returned to civilian life. By 1946, the Coast Guard had demobilized all of its women members, while the other branches retained some.{{r|holm|p=105}} Law 625, [[Women's Armed Services Integration Act|The Women's Armed Services Act]] of 1948, was signed by President | After World War II, demobilization led to the vast majority of serving women being returned to civilian life. By 1946, the Coast Guard had demobilized all of its women members, while the other branches retained some.{{r|holm|p=105}} Law 625, [[Women's Armed Services Integration Act|The Women's Armed Services Act]] of 1948, was signed by President Harry S. Truman, allowing women to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces in fully integrated units during peace time, albeit with limits that did not apply to men.{{efn|The proportion of women in each service was limited to 2 percent, and additional limits were placed on commissioned ranks, age of enlistment, and designation of their family members as dependents.{{r|holm|p=120}}}} The intent of Congress was that women should be noncombatants only, but because of the difficulty in defining restrictions for the Army in the law, it was left up to the [[Organizational_structure_of_the_United_States_Department_of_Defense#Military Departments|service secretaries]] to comply with that intent, although the law did prohibit women from serving aboard ships and on aircraft that engaged in combat missions.{{r|holm|pp=118-120}} The Army retained a separate corps for women (WAC), while the other services integrated women into their organizational structure.{{r|holm|p=121}} In 1951, Executive Order 10240 was issued, authorizing the services to discharge women who became pregnant or had minor children in the home (including stepchildren, foster children, and siblings).{{r|holm|p=125}} | ||
During the Korean War of 1950–1953, many women served in the [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]]s. A recruiting project started in 1951 aimed to increase the number of women in the military from 40,000 to 112,000 by July 1952, but it only achieved 46,000. Some of the reasons were the lack of public support for involvement in Korea; public disapproval of women in the military; fewer women in the right age group due to the low birthrate during the Depression; and the higher standards required for women enlistees.{{r|holm|pp=149-155}}{{efn|Women recruits had to meet higher educational, mental, and physical standards than men. In addition, they had to pass a psychiatric examination as well as "an investigation of the records of local police, mental hospitals, schools, former employers, and personal references".{{r|holm|pp=154-155}}}} | During the Korean War of 1950–1953, many women served in the [[Mobile Army Surgical Hospital]]s. A recruiting project started in 1951 aimed to increase the number of women in the military from 40,000 to 112,000 by July 1952, but it only achieved 46,000. Some of the reasons were the lack of public support for involvement in Korea; public disapproval of women in the military; fewer women in the right age group due to the low birthrate during the Depression; and the higher standards required for women enlistees.{{r|holm|pp=149-155}}{{efn|Women recruits had to meet higher educational, mental, and physical standards than men. In addition, they had to pass a psychiatric examination as well as "an investigation of the records of local police, mental hospitals, schools, former employers, and personal references".{{r|holm|pp=154-155}}}} | ||