We've heard much about the men who served in WWII and the women, the Rosie the Riveters, who carried the workload back home.
In America's Youngest Women Warriors, Dorothy Hinson Brandt gives us a glimpse into the lives of the young women who served in the Armed Forces - the youngest women, those who entered when they were under the legal age to do so.
Brandt brought together the profiles of twenty-five women in all branches of the service. Most joined when they were 16 or 17, but some like Norma Stuart Bomer, were only 14.
The youngest, Doris J. (Lyles) Slatten Gilbert, lied about her age and joined the Army at the ripe old age of 13. Born into what she described as a 'dysfunctional family,' she found her 'home' in the military. She served more than two years before her true age was discovered.
Doris received training as a medical corpsman and later as a dental technician. In February of 1946, she received an honorable disharge because of her age. General Eisenhower told her, "Go home, little girl, and come back when you grow up; we need soldiers like you."
Like Doris, the remaining twenty-four women not only lived through a critical time in American history; they answered the call to serve their country.
America's Youngest Women Warriors is an inspiring read about women whose stories need to be heard.
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