I'm researching women in history and found a WWII advertisment I'd never seen. It hadn't occurred to me, but women in Japan were also being drawn into traditionally male roles during the war-- and were paid less than their male co-workers. So much in common.
It makes me wonder what I would have done if I had been an American woman in the Rosie age. Would I have felt loyal and true to the cause, or would I have felt-- as I do now-- that my spangles were a bit too tarnished by disappointment to be donned?
The "girl" in the poster certainly appears to be ambivalent about her decision. Probably not the look they intended.
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Although she had already passed away, in 1996 I gathered with family, past and current servicewomen for the dedication of the Women's War Memorial in Washington, DC. From the WWII veterans, to the Korean war nurses, to the vets of Vietnam and the Gulf Wars (some with their husbands and baby strollers) + even a few veterans of WWI - they were AWESOME. Strong, proud, fabulous women.
Women may not always have been recognized, but they have always served.