Learn about the history of women in the military from the beginnings of our country culminating in the narrative of the women in WWII.  Cyndee discusses the beginnings of women in the military when they dressed as men to serve during the Revolutionary War to the strides that women have achieved.  Then she highlights the women of WWII who were the first women to serve overseas (besides nurses) during a war.  She traces the footsteps of her mother and her fellow WACs who followed the soldiers stationed in Europe from London to Normandy to Paris to Versailles and finally to Frankfurt with the Army of Occupation.

Mollie’s War was out and about during November for Veterans Day. We traveled the state sharing Molie’s story. We meet very few WWII Veterans but lots of children and grandchildren of the Veterans. We discussed that, almost everyone had fathers who served in the military in WWII or Korea.  I didn’t realize how special it was that I had a father and a mother who served in WWII.  It wasn’t until many years later that I finally realized how very special this was.  My mother was a trailblazer for the women in the military who came after her. Many people tell me about the letters that they have from their fathers and ask me how to research their stories. It is quite a process–but for me with Mollie’s letters and the help of the Pritzker Military Library, I was to find information. I am sure today there is so much more information available.

In October we met a woman in Breese IL who had served in the USO during WWII. She lied about her age at her audition and was accepted at 16–the minimum age was 18. She served overseas. She said that she always wears pearls because she wore pearls when she would visit the soldiers in the hospitals.

This has been a great time for Mollie’s War as we continue to travel the state and share the story of women in the military in WWII and their impact on future generations. There are very few WWII Veterans–the Greatest Generation– that we encounter but lots of their children who always tell me after a presentation that they need to find their parents’ letters and do something with them. It always warms my heart when women tell me that because of the people like Mollie they have been able to join the service and make careers for themselves. They stand on the shoulders of women like Mollie. The contributions of the first women to serve as WACs paved the way for future generations of women.

We attended one Veterans Day event where they had the “Quilts of Honor” ceremony before my Mollie’s War presentation. It was so moving–they honor those who served in the Armed Forces. They provide patriotic quits and wrap the receiving Veteran in the quilt to show them how much their service is appreciated. At this ceremony there were four people–one woman and two men who served in Viet Nam but also a WWII Veteran who was 100 years old! He told us about his service in the Philippines. It is just an amazing ceremony.

Well, we finished another Women’s History month as we traveled the state of Illinois–mostly in person but one on zoom. We were mainly in the north and northwest suburbs as well as the city of Chicago. We don’t meet many WWII Veterans anymore but some Korean War Veterans and Vietnam Veterans. However, we meet many children of the WWII Veterans. It is always a great experience to hear the stories. One woman talked about her mother and father who were dating at the time–and both decided to enlist. Her mother qualified but her father did not! So, her mother served but her father helped in the war effort. What a story!

One woman who served in the military for over 25 years said it right—my mother’s generation led the way for her to serve and then her generation led the way for the next generation to serve and so on!

The US Holocaust Museum selected 50 libraries in 50 states for their traveling exhibit—Americans and the Holocaust.  

Marshall Public Library in Marshall, IL is one of 50 U.S. libraries selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.    Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries is an educational initiative of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the American Library Association.

Marshall Library asked me to speak about my book, Mollie’s War:  The Letters of a WWII WAC in Europe and the women who served in the Women’s Army Corp (WAC) in WWII highlighting my mother’s service especially as a Jewish woman serving in Europe.    I will be speaking to the high school students during the day (September 28) and the Library in the evening. 

I just wanted to share a wonderful review of Mollie’s War appearing in ARGunners online. I hope you enjoy reading it.

https://www.argunners.com/joining-mollie-in-helping-defeat-hitler/

These last few years have certainly been strange as we continue to emerge from the isolation of the pandemic. March–Women’s History Month–was a mixture of virtual events and in-person events–some with everyone wearing masks and some with no one wearing masks. What I did learn was how rewarding it is to be in person sharing my mother’s story and hearing other people’s stories.

We traveled around the state from Kewanee to Lanark-Lake Carroll, Downers Grove and Rolling Meadows. We did one virtual event. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. I am finding very few WWII Veterans attending events, but their children–the Baby Boomers–do attend and even grandchildren. There also seem to be lots of people just interested in the WWII story. Everyone seems to have the same theme that their parents did not talk about their service, and we didn’t ask the questions. At one of my events there was a mother daughter team who both served in the Army at different times. One gentleman talked about his father’s service in the military at the beginnings of the space age–he told a story about his father and a monkey in space.

I think we all have to cherish any of the moments and memories that we have.

Well, another Veterans Day/Month in a pandemic has completed. Although with the availability of vaccines and booster shots, this time has been very different. We were able to bring Mollie’s War to organizations both on Zoom and in-person. Zoom or webinars are always unique when people are muted and not showing in boxes–it is difficult to access reactions. Going back to in-person presentations was a wonderful experience! The groups that I spoke with were so engaging and enthusiastic. I really missed the interaction of live audiences and the interchange of talking with people. We met one WWII Veteran who was 98 and served in the same vicinity as Mollie and another man who bemoaned the fact that he never made it out of the USA. We met several women who served in the military one as a nurse just after WWII and continued serving for many years afterwards. We also met several other women who served after WWII. There are so few WWII Veterans still attending my presentations that I always enjoy meeting the men and women who kept our country safe as well as everyone else who attends. There are so many people who are just interested in history. Everyone has such unique experiences!

Well this was our second Women’s History Month in a pandemic but at least Mollie’s War was prepared for it.   March 2020 the world shut down due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).   We did one in-person presentation in Savanna, Illinois on International Women’s Day (March 8, 2020).   It was a wonderful time and such a beautiful setting.  Little did we know the changes on the horizon.  After March 12, all of our presentations were canceled/postponed.  We didn’t have another presentation until April 2020 when organizations started using Zoom to deliver content to audiences.  We have continued to use Zoom since then.   One positive note is the fact that people can join from all over the country!  But the biggest negative is not having the audience reactions and interactions–and not getting to meet people in person.  When it is safe to do so, we are hoping to travel the state to meet some of the people that we have seen on Zoom.   It is difficult to assess reactions when everyone is muted and in little video boxes–and sometimes when a webinar is being used, you don’t even see the video boxes.

We met many interesting people during March 2021.   We spoke in DeKalb at Elwood House, Lansing Library on International Women’s Day, Champaign Genealogy Society, Sycamore Library and Arlington Heights Library.   It was so nice meeting people who were genuinely interested in history and were delighted  that my mother and her family saved all of her “stuff.”     If they had not saved this information, there would not have been an accurate story.  I’ve enjoyed discovering this new audience of people interested in what the women did in WWII, a story that is not told often.

One of my favorite times from this month was when our grandchildren stayed over during spring break and I had a presentation.  Our seven year old granddaughter, Hava, wanted to see my practice session.   So she joined me–she told me that I had a lot of information.   As I was talking and showing the slides, she asked many questions.  What usual takes 45 minutes took almost an hour and a half.   She was very interested.   One of her questions occurred when I was showing the slide of children being evacuated from London to safer places during the buzz bombing.   She wanted  to know if the children ever saw their parents again—what a question but so appropriate for a child of the 2020s.  

I am incredibly proud to have been selected as a Road Scholar from Illinois Humanities for the next two years to continue telling my mother’s story, Mollie’s War. This is the story of the women who served in the military during WWII. I have had the privilege and opportunity to travel across Illinois as part of Illinois Humanities over the last six years. If you are looking for an interesting story for your group, please contact me.