Women Soldiers - Some Little Known History

We will be celebrating our nations birthday in about three weeks, so I thought I'd do a different kind of post today. I'm going to put politics aside and discuss a bit of little-known history. If one were to ask how long women have been an official part of our military and fought for their country, most folks would probably talk about how the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps was created in 1941 and became an official part of the Army in 1943.

In fact, over 350,000 women served in the Army, Navy and Marines during World War II. Sixteen of them were killed in action, and over 1500 medals, citations and commendations were earned. These women served with honor, and women have done the same in every war America has had since that time.

But those were far from the first women to fight for their country as soldiers. In 1778, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and successfully joined the Continental Army's light infantry (4th Massasschusetts Regiment). She enlisted using the name of her deceased brother -- Robert Shurtliff. She got away with it because she was tall and as strong as most of the men (from doing farm work as an indentured servant).

She was wounded in her first battle, receiving a gash on her forehead and two musket balls in her thigh. Afraid doctors would discover she was a woman, she used a penknife and sewing needle to remove one of the musket balls (most men couldn't do that). The other was too deep for her to remove, and the leg never healed right. But she was in more skirmishes and was honorably discharged on October 25, 1783.

According to CNN, during the Civil War hundreds of women on both sides disguised themselves as men and fought as official soldiers. Ostensibly, it was for the $13 a month (twice what a woman could earn), but I have to believe it also had a lot to do with patriotism and love of country.

Perhaps the most famous of these Civil War women soldiers was Sarah Wakeman (pictured above). She enlisted as Lyons Wakeman and served with the 153rd New York Volunteer Infantry. The letters she wrote home were later compiled into a book titled An Uncommon Soldier. She joined in 1862 and served until she died of dysentey in 1864.

Although it is not well-known, women have been fighting for this country as soldiers as long as men have, and they have done so honorably (if not openly at first). Bravery, honor and patriotism are not limited to just males.