Looking over vs. overlooking historic contributions: Women veterans' experiences of W.W.II

Through the semi-structured interviews of 22 World War II era women veterans, this project tracks particular themes, from their initial decision to join the military to the overall meaning that this experience continues to have in their lives today.;This study attempts to elicit each woman veteran's perception of the meaning of her experience during W.W. II, while at the same time locating her narrative within a larger social and gender perspective. Informed by narrative and social constructionist ideas, this paper serves as a formal recognition of those women participants who have often been silenced or unrecognized for their contributions during World War II. It is designed to bring the voices of these women to the surface, documenting their experiences and the effects of World War II upon their lives. A forum has been provided, through this project, in which each woman's story could be told. Finally, the development of an archive in which these stories might be maintained and shared captures the contributions of the participants.;Many findings have emerged from this study, some of which were anticipated and others which were not. Of the former, some included issues of why these women entered their chosen branch of the services, how civilians felt towards them, and racial prejudice within the military. These are among the arenas previously recognized by the literature. Results which were not predicted included a resentment of Vietnam veterans, difficulties adjusting to civilian life after the war, and the struggle to find a forum in which to reflect upon or re-experience one's service time.;Postmodernist thought purports a denial of belief in an objectively understandable world. There is, in this study, no pursuit of an overarching theory or theories which will objectively capture the essence of these women's experiences. Although I will be considering these women veterans' service and lives in light of the available literature, I will not be judging or comparing these women's experiences to any truth or existing data. My goal is that the personal meanings of these women's experiences will be enhanced and sharpened through this process.;I hope that this study may serve as an example to other researchers who wish to simultaneously learn from as well as give voice to a chosen group of individuals.