do sooner or later to engage with the world . But even as my appreciation for male narratives grew , I began asking questions about what was often missing from those stories . After all , in times of war , half the population is still female . I wanted to learn about D-Day . But I also wanted to learn about the home front .
Happily , the stories of the people in the background of the great men are being told in more ways than when I was growing up . The Rosie the Riveter / World War II Home Front National Historical Park was established in 2000 in Richmond , Calif ., to preserve the legacy of the U . S . civilians who contributed to the war effort from home , and , as its name suggests , the park pays special attention to the women who played a critical role in the wartime labor force . And the World War II Memorial , which opened on the mall in Washington D . C . in 2004 , is not only the usual monument to fallen soldiers , but also an explicit commemoration of the sacrifices made by civilians at home .
Their stories are vital to fully understanding World War II , as well as being fascinating . If Americans want to truly understand our history , we must take the time to learn about the people , so often female , in the background of the official narratives . And we owe it those women to tell our daughters — and sons — about them , not just during Women ’ s History Month but anytime we teach them about the past . I want my daughter to grow up in a world where we tell women ’ s stories just as often and passionately as we have always told men ’ s .
All history is women ’ s history . Sometimes we just have to look a little deeper to find it . Behind the Oppenheimers and Roosevelts are hundreds of young women sitting in front of panels , staring at meters , adjusting dials — living their lives and changing the world .
William Morrow / An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
Janet Beard is a native of East Tennessee and author of the novel The Atomic City Girls , currently on sale from William Morrow .
Source : https :// time . com / 5191480 / atomic-city-womens-history
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