War and American Women: Heroism, Deeds, and Controversy

With this year's planned dedication of the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, there is likely to be increased interest in the exploits and achievements of American servicewomen. Readers searching for an overview of this subject would do well to delve into this latest in a long string of military histories from Normandy assault veteran Breuer (Shadow Warriors, etc.). Including war correspondents as part of the more traditional group of female nurses, spies, aviators and soldiers, Breuer calculates that some 3.5 million American women have served their nation in time of war. He chronicles their saga, from the WWI volunteers who were unfairly tagged with the derogatory label ""camp followers,"" up through the infamous Tailhook scandal and its aftermath. WWII, in particular, produced some incredible heroines, such as the young female pilots who risked their lives flying the early, dangerous version of the B-29 Superfortress that would eventually drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima; and Virginia Hall, an OSS agent and saboteur who parachuted behind Nazi lines with her false leg tucked under her arm for safekeeping. While Breuer clearly has high esteem for these and other American women warriors, he doesn't shy away from the serious problems that have plagued the integration of women into the armed forces. In an evenhanded presentation, Breuer gives examples in which both women and the military have been ill served during recent controversial episodes. In 1976, for example, soldiers in Korea were ordered to report in full battle gear for what looked like an imminent armed confrontation with North Korean troops. Some of the female soldiers showed up for battle carrying their babies, while some others ""abandoned their duty stations.... and headed southward, away from the looming violence."" In 1982, in Panama, the Army issued breathless reports of the first woman to lead American GIs into combat. Later, it emerged that the claim came not from the woman but from zealous Army publicists. Breuer blames politicians, notably former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder, for many of the problems surrounding the issue of women in the military. While the book lacks a final touch-an epilogue in which Breuer ties it all together, or presents his recommendations-it's a substantive work that makes a genuine contribution to an underreported facet of military, and American, history. (Mar.)