Women at War

Chosen from among the thousands of collections of women’s experiences in the Veterans History Project, this modest selection spans four wars. While many of the collections are nurses’ tales, there is also the story of a code breaker (Ann Caracristi), a welder (Meda Brendall), and a flight surgeon (Rhonda Cornum), plus two women who rose through the ranks to secure places in the military history books. Jeanne Holm served her country for 33 years, in 1971 becoming the first woman general in the Air Force. And in December 1990, Darlene Iskra became the first woman to command a U.S. Navy ship.

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    personal narrative
    Meda Montana Brendall Collection World War, 1939-1945 - Baltimore, Maryland.
    • Contributor: Brendall, Meda Montana - Gill, Harmett - American Legion Post 22, Towson, Maryland - Bishop, Linda
    • Date: 1941
  • personal narrative
    Ann Caracristi Collection World War, 1939-1945 - Washington, DC.
    • Contributor: The History Project-Documentary Production - Caracristi, Ann - Sewell, Leslie
  • personal narrative
    Rhonda Cornum Collection Colonel, Army, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - Kuwait.
    • Contributor: McDowell, Ivonne C. - Winchester, Brad - Department of Veterans Affairs, Public & Intergovernmental Affairs - Cornum, Rhonda
    • Date: 1978
  • personal narrative
    Alene B. Duerk Collection Rear Admiral, Navy Nurse Corps, World War, 1939-1945. Korean War, 1950-1953. Vietnam War, 1961-1975.
  • personal narrative
    Jennifer Grace Dutton-Cantrell Collection Petty Officer First Class, Navy, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - Orlando, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Little Creek, Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia.
    • Contributor: Marcus Porrovechio - Truman, Jennifer - Henderson, Patrick - Bret Harte Union High School - Ricki Fideldy - Dutton-Cantrell, Jennifer Grace
    • Date: 1982
    • Resource: Interview / Recording - Audio - 00:20:40.0
  • personal narrative
    Violet Hill Gordon Collection Captain, WAC (Women's Army Corps), World War, 1939-1945 - Fort Des Moines, Iowa; Fort Huachuca, Arizona; England; France; European Theater.
    • Contributor: Gordon, Violet Hill - Flagler County Public Library - Kent, Judith J.
    • Date: 1942
  • personal narrative
    Jeanne M. Holm Collection WAC (Women's Army Corps), World War, 1939-1945 - Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; West Virginia; Washington, DC; Germany; Italy. Major General, Air Force, Cold War - United States; Germany; Italy.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Veterans History Project - Holm, Jeanne M. - Binker, Mary-Jo
    • Date: 1942
  • personal narrative
    Darlene M. Iskra Collection Commander, Navy, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - Alameda, California; San Diego, California; Norfolk, Virginia; Washington, DC; Port Said, Egypt; Guam (Mariana Islands).
    • Contributor: Library of Congress - Veterans History Project - Mears, Rachel L. - Iskra, Darlene M.
    • Date: 1979
  • personal narrative
    Frances M. Liberty Collection Army Nurse Corps, World War, 1939-1945 - Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia; Texas; New York; Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Africa; Italy. Army Nurse Corps, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Fort Sam…
    • Contributor: Liberty, Frances M. - Venezio, Thomas - Shaker High School/United States Coast Guard Auxiliary - Landry, Robert
    • Date: 1943
  • personal narrative
    Jeanne A. Markle Collection First Lieutenant, Army Nurse Corps, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Carson, Colorado; Vietnam.
    • Contributor: Lugar, Richard - Markle, Jeanne A. - U.S. Senate/Richard Lugar - Doud, Mark D.
    • Date: 1964
  • personal narrative
    Rhona Marie Knox Prescott Collection Captain, Army Nurse Corps, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Texas; Virginia; Georgia; Oklahoma; Korea; Vietnam.
    • Contributor: Flagler County Public Library - Kent, Judith J. - Prescott, Rhona Marie Knox
    • Date: 1961
  • personal narrative
    Regina H. Schiffman Collection Lieutenant Colonel, Army Nurse Corps, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Fort Sam Houston, Texas; San Francisco, California; Pennsylvania; Korea; Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland; Washington, DC; Landstuhl, Germany; Frankfurt, Germany; Japan; Fort Benning, Georgia.…
    • Contributor: Stewart, Ruth F. - Women's Overseas Service League, San Antonio Unit - Schiffman, Regina H.
    • Date: 1949
  • personal narrative
    Wendy Marie Taines Collection Corporal, Army, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - Fort Dix, New Jersey; San Antonio, Texas; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Saudi Arabia.
    • Contributor: Taines, Wendy Marie - Va Medical Center, Los Angeles, California - Donahue, Mary Ann
    • Date: 1990
  • personal narrative
    Carolyn Hisako Tanaka Collection Captain, Army Nurse Corps, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Ord, California; Long Binh, Vietnam.