Women have played an essential role in the progress of our nation since its founding. From Anne Hutchinson, who insisted as early as the 1630s that women in Colonial America should have equal rights, to Susan B. Anthony, one of the lead women’s rights activists in the women’s suffrage movement, key figures paved the way for the rights and recognition that women in America have today.
There are countless notable women who have shaped our nation—many who have done so on the battlefields. Officially, it's only been 75 years since President Harry S. Truman signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, allowing women to enlist in the regular U.S. Army. Today, women make up over 17 percent of active duty forces, exceeding 230,000 service members. In the National Guard, over 21 percent, or 171,000 members, are women.
During Women’s History Month, we are looking back at some of the notable women who—officially and unofficially—served our country.
Recognizing women’s contributions
It’s only been 45 years since women leaders and trailblazers began receiving national recognition for their achievements. In Santa Rosa, Calif., a “Women’s History Week” began in March of 1978 to coincide with International Women’s Day. Led by a local teacher, the weeklong recognition focused on the ways women contributed to American history, culture, and society. Dozens of schools and hundreds of students participated in presentations and essays, and the town even hosted a parade.
The movement gained momentum, and by 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation making March 2–8 National Women’s History Week. After a petition by the National Women’s History Project, Congress declared March 1987 as Women’s History Month.
Finally, women’s influence and action in American history were being recognized nationally and taught in schools.
Matrons of the American Revolutionary War
Women have played a critical role in the military since the very beginning. From the battlefields that led to the birth of our nation, women served as nurses, seamstresses and cooks for troops in camps. Shortly after the Continental Army was established, Commander-in-Chief George Washington received a request to include female nurses for every 10 patients, and a matron to oversee nurses for every 100 sick or wounded.
Some women also unofficially found their way into battle. Margaret Corbin stood with her husband providing ammunition for his cannon during the attack on Fort Washington. When he died in battle, she took his place. After she sustained injuries, Congress granted her a pension.
“Molly Pitcher,” or Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, is well known for supplying troops with water during battle in New Jersey. She, too, took her husband’s place when he collapsed during battle.
Women also served as spies and messengers, easily slipping by British troops. Washington specifically asked Ann Simpson Davis to help deliver messages on horseback to generals while in eastern Pennsylvania.
‘True womanhood’ during the Civil War
The trend in the 1860s was simple—men worked hard outside of the home, while women led private lives maintaining the home in what was known as “the Cult of True Womanhood.”
This lifestyle didn’t sit well with many women, though, and the Civil War provided an opportunity to contribute to something bigger. Almost 20,000 women contributed to the war effort as cooks, matrons, clerks, and laundresses; nearly 3,000 served as nurses; and more than 400 disguised themselves as men to directly fight on the battlefield.
Annie Etheridge of the 3rd Michigan Infantry Regiment, gained a reputation for her bravery as she tended to the wounded on the battlefield. In one instance, a soldier wrote that Annie had part of her skirt blown off when a shell exploded near her and a soldier she was treating.
Receiving the Medal of Honor for her service, Dr. Mary E. Walker worked as an assistant surgeon and later as a spy, during which time she was taken prisoner and later released.
Clara Barton is well known for caring for the wounded and dying on battlefields from Antietam to Andersonville. She later became the first president of the American Association of the Red Cross.
Cathay Williams, a former slave, provided her services as a cook and laundress before disguising herself as a man to enlist in the Company A, 38th U.S. Infantry for two years. And Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery in 1849, set up an elaborate espionage ring during the Civil War for the Union. She also worked as a cook, nurse, and spy.
New roles in World War I and II
When Congress passed the Selective Service Act in 1917 that required eligible men to join the war, more than 24 million men eventually signed up for the draft. Women stepped up in roles both at home and in war. From offices to defense plants to repair shops to public transportation, their skills, time, and expertise were invaluable. About 35,000 women served the military during WWI.
During World War II, that number increased tenfold. Nearly 350,000 women joined the effort in uniform, committing to the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, later Women’s Army Corps, and other women’s branches of the military. Gen. Eisenhower said their efforts in uniform were paramount to winning the war.
At one point, more than 20 percent of women accounted for the manufacturing of electrical machinery, airplanes, and food during the war. Women also served as clerical workers, phone operators, stenographers, truck drivers, laboratory technicians, repair women, and more.
Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Col. Mary Hallaren joined the military, becoming the first commissioned officer in the Regular Army. She was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps in 1942 and commanded the largest all-female unit to serve overseas. She was a strong advocate for women serving in the regular Army.
2nd Lt. Elsie S. Ott with the U.S. Army Air Corps helped to pioneer air evacuations for wounded soldiers. While serving in Karachi, India, she flew on the first air evacuation from Karachi to Walter Reed hospital in Washington, D.C, with five severely wounded soldiers. Her experience and accounts of the weeklong flight helped the military plan for future evacuations, and two months later she received the U.S. Air Medal, the first given to a woman in the U.S. Army, for her work.
Many women who returned home received accolades for their contributions, while others had to fight for recognition. Some were injured, captured, and killed in battle.
Paving the way for the future
From the birth of our nation, women have played a crucial role in the military and our advancement as a country. Clara Barton, Molly Pitcher, Harriet Tubman, Col. Mary Hallaren and many more proved their worth, fought for recognition and laid the groundwork for future women serving in the military.
It was shortly after World War II ended in 1948 that President Truman signed an order to allow all women to join regular military branches. And just two years later, about 120,000 women enlisted in active duty during the Korean War. In the late 1960s, there were about 10,000 women serving in Vietnam and more than 265,000 military and civilian women serving around the globe.
By the 1970s, women began training at the same locations as men, and enlistment qualifications became the same for men and women in 1979. A year later, the first women graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
Women continue blazing trails in the military, such as West Point graduates Capt. Kristen M. Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye L. Haver becoming the first two women to complete Army Ranger School in 2015. And Retired Army Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody earned a four-star officer
rank in 2008—a first for a woman.
IHG® Army Hotels is proud to highlight the achievements of women in the ranks. More than 70% of our hotels’ General and Area Managers are women and our success is a direct result. Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and dedication.