by Susan Tatem
Never was there a more turbulent time than World War II. Though the USA did not join the war until 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by the Empire of Japan on December 7th, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany after they invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
My grandmother, Enid K. Wible, was born in England on December 27, 1925. She would tell stories of what it was like growing up during the war. From a nearby airfield, planes would take off flying overhead on their way to fight the German aircrafts battering the British Isle. There were times when she had to go home from school a different way because there were unexploded bombs in the road. Air Raid sirens would pierce the night screaming out a warning.
Life was not all bullets, bombs, and shortages though. People tried to go on with “normal” life activities such as dances and dinners at the club. My Gran met my grandfather who was stationed at a USAAF base close to her home. They were married and moved to the USA after the war as so many others did, and the national “Baby Boom” began. Gran went on to have a wonderful life full of faith, friends, and family. She had 4 children, 12 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, and 1 great,great grandchild. She loved working out in her garden raising all kinds of vegetables and flowers which she did right up to the end. Gran died on September 4, 2020 some 75 years after the end of WW2, which ended on September 2, 1945 after 6 long years. I told her once how much I loved her British accent. She laughed and said, “Love, I thought I lost it after all these years in the States.” She left behind a legacy of love, liveliness, and laughter that will not be forgotten.
My Gran’s story is just 1 of nearly a million women from all over the world who married American soldiers during WW2. These women became known as “War Brides.” It is estimated that nearly 100,000 were British, 200,000 were continental Europeans, 16,000 were from Australia and New Zealand, 100,000 were from the Far East including Japan, and around 15,000 were German. There were so many that the U.S. War Brides Act of 1945 was created to help them immigrate to the USA. In fact, The American Legion’s National Transport Committee authorized reduced fares for them to cross the Atlantic Ocean. My Gran came over on RMS Queen Mary, a prestigious steamship that was in service from 1936 to 1967. It is now a hotel, museum, and event space in Long Beach, California.
WWII changed the lives of women all over the world. Millions of women were now working in factories in traditional male roles. In conjunction with that, women joined military branches such as Women’s Army Corps (WAC), Women Accepted to Volunteer Emergency Services (WAVES), and, my personal favorite, Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). There were so many fierce women warriors like Virginia Hall, April 6, 1906-July 8, 1982. She was accepted by the British Special Operations Executive where she trained in clandestine tradecraft, weapons, communications, and other spy skills. She became one of the first female operations officers in the CIA. Additionally, she was the only female civilian in WWII to receive the Distinguished Service Cross…and she did it all with a wooden leg she named “Cuthbert.”
Women from the WWII era changed the world paving the way for women like you and me.
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