CLUB MEMBERS AND VETERANS — Janet Petrella, left, and Cheri Carpico are members of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Mingo Junction and also are veterans. Petrella was the guest speaker at the club’s November meeting, addressing the topic “Women in the Military,” and was introduced by Carpico. -- Contributed

MINGO JUNCTION — The GFWC Woman’s Club of Mingo Junction held their November meeting at the Mingo Senior Citizens Center with President Sharon Cole-Isner presiding and leading in opening exercises. Roetta Lewis gave the blessing.

Navy veteran and club member Cheri Carpico introduced guest speaker Janet Petrella, also a club member and veteran who addressed the topic “Women in the Military.”

Petrella served in the Army Reserve Nurse Corps from 1991 to 2003 with the Combat Support Hospital.

“Women have always had a role in the United States military conflicts, from the prostitutes who followed the Continental Army to washerwomen and medical caregivers in the Revolutionary War to Civil War nurses who presided over massive hospitals and worked to feed and clothe soldiers,” Petrella noted.

“Some women disguised themselves as men, enlisted and fought along the male soldiers,” she said. Others became spies to obtain intelligence on British defense. “During the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, more than 400 women disguised themselves as men and fought in the Union and Confederate armies,” she explained. “It was relatively easy for them to pass through the recruiter’s station, since few questions were asked as long as one looked the part,” she noted.

“Women bound their breasts when necessary, padded the waists of their trousers, cut their hair short and even adopted masculine names,” Petrella explained. “With the Spanish-American War from 1898 to 1901 came an epidemic of typhoid fever and the need for highly qualified army nurses,” she continued. “Military nursing had been almost dormant since the Civil War. In April 1898, Congress authorized the Army to contract nurses. Due to the exemplary performance of these nurses during the war, the Army decided it would be a good idea to have trained nurses familiar with military ways on call,” Petrella said.

In 1901 the Army established a permanent Nurse Corps. In 1908, Congress developed the Navy Nurse Corps. During World War I from 1917 to 1918, there were more than 25,000 American women between the ages of 21 and 69 who served overseas, according to Petrella, who noted another 10,000 served state side.

“More than 400 women were killed in action. Women not serving in the military had to step up and fill vacancies in shops, offices and factories,” she continued.

With the rumblings of World War II on the horizon, renewed interest was given to women serving in the Army other than the Army Nurse Corps.

Approximately 400,000 women served in various positions as mechanics and ambulance drivers and flew aircraft among other positions. There were 88 women taken as POWs. Sixteen were killed in action. At the end of WWII, President Harry Truman signed into law the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act, which created a permanent presence in the military, including WAC, WAVES and women in the Marines and Air Force. Military nurses also were given permanent commissioned officer status.

June 27, 1950, brought the outbreak of the Korean conflict, with WAC officers involuntarily recalled to active duty. “This was the first time women were summoned to active duty without their consent. Army nurses were the only women allowed into the combat theater during this war,” Petrella said, noting the 1950s and 1960s saw expansion of WAC due to increasing types of jobs available and by recruiting.

“Women did not serve in Vietnam until nearly a decade after U.S. involvements. Between 1966 and 1972 thousands of Army nurses served in combat theater very close to the fighting,” she said, noting 11,000 military women were deployed to Vietnam, and eight were killed in combat.

The defense secretary directed the elimination of involuntary discharge of military women because of pregnancy and parenthood, she noted. “Mandatory defensive weapons training was initiated for enlisted women, and they were authorized to serve the same length of overseas tours as men — increased from 24 months to 36 months for single females,” she told her club peers. “By October 1979 all enlistment qualifications became the same for men and women. In 1978, female sailors and Marines were allowed to serve on noncombat ships.”

The years between 1970 and 1979 saw many changes for women, according to Petrella. One was the lifting of the ban on women commanding units that included men. From 1991-92 during Desert Storm, approximately 41,000 servicewomen deployed to the Middle East. Two women were taken prisoner of war by Iraqi forces. From 1991 to 1993 Congress authorized women to fly in combat missions and serve on combat ships. Petrella said in 2016, a woman became the first female soldier to join the Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment and in 2017, three women became the first female infantry Marines.

“Women achieved full status in the military when they were granted the right to serve in direct ground combat roles,” she noted. “That milestone then raised the issue of whether women should, like men, be required to register for the draft. In February 2019, a U.S. District judge ruled that requiring all men to register for a military draft, while excluding women, is unconstitutional.

Petrella distributed brochures on “the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.”

Reports were given by Secretary Roetta Lewis and Treasurer Kathy Maguschak.

Bernie Carpico read correspondence, which included an invitation from the GFWC Wintersville Woman’s Club to attend its Holiday Splender fundraiser on Dec. 1.

Kathy Maguschak noted the date for orders for See’s candy had been changed to the Monday before Thanksgiving.

Cole-Isner, Lewis and Diana Taylor handed out candy at the Halloween party that was held at Aracoma Park.

Cole-Isner gave a report on the Ohio State basket drawing.

The Christmas party will be held Dec. 12 at the YWCA of Steubenville. There will be a gift exchange for those who want to participate. Members will be contacted with the final details.

The club received the names of 10 children for its Christmas project. Names were handed out to members who will be shopping for the children.

Some of the members will be assisting at the Dec. 11 Christmas program for the children at Hills School.

Hostesses for the evening were Petrella and Carpico.