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Summary: Women in the Military Who Were NOT Nurses
Review: This book opened my eyes to the experiences of women who served in the Army (and the other service branches) during World War II. I found out they were not all nurses or "donut dollies" but serious and dedicated women who left the safety of their homes to "join up". Although Ms. Pollard chose to use language more common during the Second World War, I forgave her as I read because the stories were enlightening.For example, I had no idea how other women saw these soldiers in uniform. The responses were often jealousy and fear that the women in the Army were out to take other women's husbands away from them! Ms. Pollard reflects on the variety of jobs the women took on while the men went to fight; everything from office work to ferrying servicemen into battle. The amazing thing was that after the military women came home, they donned their kitchen aprons and went right back to housekeeping and bringing up their children with litle or no thought that they had broken through much of the sex bias about women performing "mens work". Some of these "powerful" women themselves failed to connect that they had become role models for their children and grandchildren. Ms. Pollard also reflects on the "shell shocked" soldiers she saw and worked with at the end of the war. It is gut wrenching. I highly recommend this book as a means to learn about roles women have played in our contemporary history; a subject LEFT OUT by most teachers in high school and college these days.
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