Sarah
Rosetta Wakeman (1843–1864) was one of the numerous American women who disguised themselves
as men to fight in the Civil War. She used the name of Lyons Wakeman when she joined the army to fight for The Union. One of the reasons for this risky adventure was that she didn't seem to have had any appropriate suitors for marriage, her father had debt, and she didn't see any possibilities to earn money to support her family. While away she wrote many letters to her family, and unlike most of the female soldiers she had a family who kept these letters. However, later generations must have forgotten this fact as they was stacked somewhere in the family house before being re-found and published.it took many years the
letters that Wakeman wrote home were preserved by her family and later
published.
When taking part in the so-called Red River Campaign she marched hundreds of miles through swampy areas on poor food and unhealthy drinking water. Hundreds of her comrades succumbed, but not she. However, she didn't get back home to her family, but died from some illness which may - or may not - be connected to the tough life as a soldier.
There are many other countries which sport female soldiers. For instance this is a group of women from the Kingdom of Dahomey when visiting Paris in 1891.
Some of the renowned and extremely courageous Russian women pilots who were known as the "Night Witches". They blasted Nazis at night in 1941.
19-year-old Soviet sniper, Roza Shanina, who was one of the many staunch soldiers of The Red Army. Young or not she had no less than 59 confirmed kills (1945).
Spain also might boast strong a brave female soldiers in the Spanish Civil War (1936): Young women of a Republican militia in Madrid
Fanny Schoonheyt was Dutch, but she went to Spain to fight Fascists as a volunteer. She was known as The Queen of the Machine Gun.
A group of American WASP pilots (Women Airforce Service Pilots) with one of their B-17 bomber named Pistol Packin ‘Mama. These young women are cadets of WASP air school in Lockbourne, Ohio, From left to right: Frances Green, Margaret (Peg) Kirchner, Ann Waldner and Blanche Osborn.
It seems that everywhere where war pops up its ugly face women have been serving in the military. They have taken part in both combat and non-combat roles. First and foremost they have been serving as pilots, infantry officers and mechanics. However, they have also served in many other roles than being active soldiers: Spies, technicians, and "Hello Girls".
Wikipedia
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