Claire Cassidy

Red Group

Women on the homefront during WWII were highly underrated. More exciting and immediate things were
being done by the WASP and other women overseas, which meant that women rarely had anything written
about them. Their parts in the war were just as crucial as those overseas fighting.

Production rates during the war would have plummeted if American women had not stepped up. Since most
able-bodied young men were at war, factories and other jobs were lacking employees and women were missing
their husbands. Many women decided to take up jobs left by men. Some were recruited by propaganda, the
most well known being Rosie the Riveter. Some needed more income for their household and others simply
wanted to do something more to help the war effort. These women at home fought battles of their own.

Some fought in factories. Many a woman found her place working on airplanes or as mechanics, staying strong
against the nasty men who remained in the workplace just because it aint womens work and they could
only be good at what they do for a woman (Von Miklos). At the end of the day their muscles were sore and
their ears rang all night, but the women who worked at mills soon got used to that (Prentiss 97). These strong
women powered through and did their part for the war with pride.
Those who werent working in factories or in mens jobs might have had to live in community houses with a
bunch of other women. They had to keep busy while their husbands and fiances were at work or, even worse, at
war. Most read books and wrote letters and some played bridge. Letters were subject to heavy censorship via
military mail and arrived about once a week (Moredock 198). Others took the time to pick up a habit, such as
sewing. One woman in particular went to a sewing store where machines could be paid for at an hourly rate and
sewed herself a dress and made a shirt for her father as a present (Roberts 194).

In short, the women on the United States homefront played a vital part in fighting World War II. These strong
ladies may not have personally held a gun up to the enemy overseas, but they held up their fists and refused to
give up. They won the war in their own way.