So Proudly We Hail!

The tremendous manpower needs faced by the United States during World War II created numerous new social and economic opportunities for American women. Both society as a whole and the United States military found an increasing number of roles for women. As large numbers of women entered industry for the first time, so to did the need for nurses clarify the status of the nursing profession.

In 1the 1942 film 'So Proudly We Hail', an Army plane brings eight nurses from the Philippines to Australia. They are the only female survivors from the hard-hit Army base in Corregidor, and are put aboard a ship to the US. Their leader, Lt. Janet 'Davy' Davidson (Claudette Colbert), does not speak, and the doctor on board asks the nurses to tell their story so he can try to help her.

What characteristics could be used to describe these brave nurses? Compare these women to women of today. How are they alike/ different? Were the nurses more of a help or a hinderance? How have women's roles in war continued to change?

Why were these nurses lucky to have escaped Bataan?

Tomahawk vs. Zero

The P-40 Warhawk and A6M Zero were two prominent U.S. and Japanese fighters at the beginning of the Second World War. Both had achieved admirable records. Being two of the most recognizable and widely used aircraft of the war, their paths crossed many times. Yet their performance and career tracks were very different.

Which airplane had the biggest advantage at Pearl Harbor?  Why?

Can you defend Pearl Harbor from the Japanese attack?

Try flying these other historic aircraft.