Historical Facts about American Women and the Military
During the War of 1812, two women served as nurses aboard the United States, Stephen Decatur's flag ship.
During the Civil War women disguised as men served on both sides. Women also served as spies, nurses, including aboard at least one hospital ship . Dr. Mary Walker, received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Women have served in the American armed forces for almost 100 hundred years since 1901 when the Army Nurse Corps was established. The Navy Nurse Corps soon followed in 1908.
Women who were not Nurses were first enlisted in the Navy and Marine Corps during World War I. Only nurses served in the Army during this war, but the Army did hire about 200 civilian women who were fluent in both English and French to serve as telephone operators. These women, often referred to as the "Hello Girls," were later given veterans' status.
432 American military women were killed during World War II. 88 were prisoners of war all but one of these in the Pacific Theater.
7 women died in the line of duty while serving in theater during the Vietnam War. Their names can be found inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial.
Almost 41,000 women served in theater during Persian Gulf War. 13 women were killed and two were taken as prisoners of war.
