Soldiers Without Guns – Women in WW II class project

I’ve decided on my “podcast” project for this semester.  I will be creating a series of oral histories about Women in World War II as told through the eyes of one family – the Patton girls.

Mary worked for the Army Air Force in Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington D.C.  Ruth, a real “Rosie the Riveter” (or maybe ”Winnie the Welder”) worked for Fisher Aircraft in Memphis.  Two other sisters were also involved in the military.  The oldest sister, Lorene, married and started a family.

Their experiences mirrored the experiences of many women during WWII - traveling all over the country, exploring new opportunities they couldn’t have imagined while growing up in a sharecropping family in the rural South.  They also experienced the harsh realities of war, as boyfriends, husbands, and friends went overseas, some to not come back.  And they experienced the day-to-day impacts of war, including rationing and food shortages.

Their stories reflect the stories of many women who responded to the patriotic appeal to support the war. 

Along the way, I will be posting about my progress – collecting background information, preparing for the interviews, and determining the best way to produce and save the interview audio files.

I will also be looking at the fundamental question – How do you make oral histories available to a wider audience through the Internet, and, at the same time, protect the privacy and security of those willing to share their stories?