Central Illinois Women Who Served in the Military During World War II

Since there was little information presented about women's military participation during World War II, I decided to research and write about that topic.By 1944 the number of employed women was nearly two million, with more than 400,000 working in the war industry.[...]the departure of 950,000 Illinois men for overseas duty provided women with ample opportunity for employment in the war industry and the private sector.11 At a time when many middle and upper class women did not work outside the home after marriage, the war brought women from all walks of life into the workforce.12 Women who left the workforce after marriage, or women who had lost their jobs during the economic downturn of the Depression, often returned.The Sangamon Ordnance Plant in Illiopolis employed hundreds of women during the war and offered equal pay for men and women, which made war industry work appealing to women previously in low-paying jobs.[...]many war industries offered transportation to and from work, an on-site daycare center, and dormitories for single men and women.16 Newspapers regularly praised women's contribution to the war effort, their dedication to their jobs, steadiness in work habits, and excellent attendance records.17 But not all women were interested in war industry work or waiting out the war in a private sector job.[...]of OWI recruitment and the efforts of the Red Cross, more than 400,000 American women served in the military.20 Thousands more volunteered with the Red Cross at home and abroad in war zones.21 Over the course of World War II, 13,587 Illinois women joined the military.22 Central Illinois businesses displayed OWI and Red Cross posters that urged young women to "free a man to fight" or "lend a hand to Uncle Sam."