Women in the war

Willis and Lucille Jones, just before he shipped out. (Courtesy photo)

Prior to World War II the traditional place for women in America was in the home. They were homemakers first, and handled the sacred task of rearing their children. To be sure, women had held jobs in the workplace for generations, but these jobs were "women's" work, like teaching, nursing, waitresses, and sales persons in stores where women were the principal shoppers. Jobs in industry, manufacture, and transportation were all held by men. Women represented less than 25 percent of America's workforce in 1940 (as against almost 50 percent in 2009).

Before Pearl Harbor, there were no women's units of the Armed Forces. As had been true in all of America's wars up to that point, nurses made up the total feminine representation in the war -- and even there the representation was miniscule -- less than 100 nurses in the Army Nurse Corps in 1941.

Everyone just accepted that there were certain jobs that women could not, and should not handle -- well not everyone. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of the President, and Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers believed that women could play an important part in America's war effort, at home, and in the military. They were able to get the ear of the President and Gen. Marshall, who pushed legislation establishing wings in all branches of the service for women.

Lucille and 4-month-old Dianne Jones. (Courtesy photo)

After Pearl Harbor there was an explosion of women coming into the work force -- into the armed forces, defense industries, as well as the positions back home, which were formerly filled by men, now gone off to war. It is safe to say that women coming into the work place played a key part in the United States winning the war.

There was another category of women in the war that is outside statistical coverage, and that is the number of women -- mothers, sisters, wives and sweethearts, who had sent men off to war and awaited the return of their loved ones, who were actively serving the U.S. in various parts of the world, during World War II. The sacrifices that this group of women made for their country were the greatest of any group of U.S. citizens. It is heart-wrenching to imagine the anguish that these women went through.

World War II was the bloodiest and most costly war in history, with some 50-70 million casualties worldwide. The United States alone suffered more than 1 million casualties, which means that there were more than 1 million telegrams, which were delivered, announcing that a loved one had been killed, wounded or was missing in action.

McCook's Dal Wood, who was a teenager during World War II, told of his after-school job at the telegraph office. He used his bicycle to deliver telegrams to individuals and businesses. In those days quite a lot of business was conducted using telegrams. But there were some telegrams that Dal was not allowed to deliver. Lucille Jones, now of McCook, was the bride of a U.S. airman who was serving in England as part of a B-17 bombing crew. Lucille was the recipient of one of those telegrams.

Lucille and Willis Jones were married in early 1943. Willis had been drafted in 1941, and at the time of their marriage was serving as the co-pilot of a B-17 bomber. For a time. Lucille was allowed to accompany Willis when he was assigned to various bases in the United States, and made friends and pen pals with the other wives -- some of these friendships lasted for many years. However, when Willis and his unit were sent to a bomber base in England, Lucille went back to her parents' home in Prosser, Neb., to await his return.

Willis had already flown some dozen missions over occupied France and Germany when he received news that their daughter, Dianne had been born.

A month later, Willis embarked upon his 26th bombing mission, as co-pilot of his bomber. After this mission he was scheduled to return to the United States, having successfully completed the required number of missions for rotation back to the States. Unfortunately, on this mission his plane sustained heavy enemy fire on its raid over Germany. Having hit their target, Willis and his crew were headed back to England when they were badly shot up by a German fighter plane. Their crippled plane lagged behind the squadron formation and Willis and crew were forced to make a rather hectic parachute jump. He remembers that as he was descending to earth his one thought was that they were so far behind the other US planes that none of his friends would be able to tell Lucille that he had been able to parachute from the plane, and was still alive.

At Prosser, in rural Nebraska, Lucille and her new baby were alone in the house when the telegraph operator from Hastings knocked on her door. When he learned that Lucille was alone he asked if he might bring his wife into the house. It was only then that he handed her the telegram, which announced that Willis was "Missing in Action." The telegraph operator's wife did indeed provide immediate consolation. It was a small gesture of concern, but one that Lucille very much appreciated.

A month later -- the longest month of Lucille's life -- she received the second telegram, which brought the news that Willis had been captured, and was imprisoned in POW Stalag Luft 1 (prison), in northern Germany.

During World War II Stalag Luft 1 housed almost 9,000 Allied prisoners, mostly American and RAF personnel. It was with immense relief that Lucille received this second telegram. Willis was alive, and though he was a prisoner, she would be able to communicate with him (occasionally) and he would be coming home!

During the months that Willis was imprisoned in Stalag Luft 1, Lucille carried on a correspondence with the other airmen wives she had met. The wives bolstered each other's spirits and plans were made for a reunion when their husbands returned home.

In May of 1945 The Russian Army liberated Stalag Luft 1. The prisoners were freed, and soon Willis and his crew were headed back to the United States. For Willis that meant a reunion with his wife and daughter. Dianne was now 18 months old. Though Lucille had tried, during all those months, to convey to Dianne that the face in the picture was her father, and that the three of them would be a family when Willis returned, it took time for the little girl to grasp that concept. Dianne believed that she and her mother had managed very well with just each other and she was not at all sure she wanted "that man" to share her mother's affection.

By the end of summer in 1945, the war had ended in Japan as well as Europe, ending any speculation that Willis and his crew would be called upon to participate in the invasion of Japan.

Soon after that Willis took his discharge from the Army and the Jones family -- father, mother and daughter, returned to Nebraska to embark on a happy life together -- as civilians. Not all of the friends Lucille had made (with the other Airmen's wives) were as fortunate.