American Military Women of World War II
Sophia Aguilar
Junior Division
Individual Website
I chose this topic because I think that it really strikes my interest. My great-grandmother was a pioneer in World War II serving in the Women’s Marine Corps, and my family’s patriotism related well to the theme this year “Rights and Responsibilities in History.” Convinced that the subject of women serving was right for the theme, I chose it as a topic for my NHD project.
I began my research by reading museum websites about military women in World War II. They helped me get an overview of the topic, and I soon found other websites that went with my subject. Then, I found books that were written by and about women serving during World War II. While reading the books, I took notes, including pages that I wanted to revisit and quotes that I could possibly use on my website. I searched the internet and found many pictures of women serving in the military (recruitment posters, responsibilities, and women who are currently serving our country). I was very pleased when I found out that my great-grandmother’s health was well enough at the time, and I was able to interview her. I also had a chance to interview my uncle, who served in the Marines during the 1990’s which helped me understand the role of women in the military today.
I chose the website format because I liked the idea of visuals, text, and technology all in one. To create my project, I referred to the notes I took from my books and made a rough draft organizing the information into sections. From there, I started making my website on Weebly. I included information from the notes I took, videos, quotes, audio clips, and many pictures I collected from the books and online. I also looked to make my quotes stand out by using blue lettering.
My topic relates to the NHD theme, “Rights and Responsibilities in History,” because it is a woman’s right to participate in military service to our country equal to a man. It was also their responsibility as a citizen during World War II to help in any way they could. It was the U.S. government’s responsibility to pass a law which allowed women in the military, starting the path towards gender equality in the military. Because women participated in war activities, it allowed more men to fight in combat, helping our nation win World War II. I learned that women who were in World War II shaped the future for the women today. They were the pioneers and taught us that women could be successful at any occupation that men could do. Women participating in the military led to other women’s rights movements including the right to vote, and growing equality in the workplace. This project also reminded me that women are equal to men, and it was the women in World War II who showed our nation that they are capable of accomplishing the same things as men.
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