Starting from the American Revolutionary War to the current Global War on Terrorism, women have served a vital function in the U.S. Army. From the moment Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley replaced her husband when he collapsed beside his cannon, women have continually defied the narrow stereotype, proving that limiting their choice of occupation is entirely wrong.
As decades goes by, women successfully expanded into different roles in the U.S. Army. Indeed, the heart of a warrior was not limited to gender.
It all started during the American Revolutionary War. Women first served the army in traditional occupations such as nurses, seamstresses and cooks for troops in army camps. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a lot of women found employment with officer’s families or as cooks but a few courageous ladies fought alongside their husbands, sometimes disguised as men as it was highly forbidden for women to participate in combats.
One of the most celebrated events in the history of women in the army was in 1778. Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, also known as “Molly Pitcher”. She used to carry water to men on the battlefield in Monmouth, N.J. until came an instance when his wounded husband collapsed on his cannon. Mary replaced his husband and fought alongside thousands of men on that day. Congress authorized a pension for her in 1779.
Women also served as spies during the Revolutionary War. They carried messages and transported as contraband. Ann Simpson Davis, an accomplished horsewoman, was handpicked by Gen. George Washington to relay messages to his comrades. Davis successfully slipped through enemy’s areas unnoticed. She received commendation from Gen. Washington for her remarkable services in the Army.
During the World War I, when the need for a massive military troop impacted women, more than 35, 000 American women served in the military. The branches to first solicit women were the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. They occupied a wide variety of non combat positions like radio electricians, draftsmen, secretaries, accountants, telephone operators and more.
In 1980s, the first 120 women are admitted to the US Military Academy Class of 1980. During the Persian Gulf War in the 1990s, approximately 24 000 women served in the army. At present, women continue to serve in the Army in areas of conflict around the world.
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