c. 1942: Women’s War Wear
During WWII, 400,000 US women worked in auxiliary roles in uniform. Women worked as truck drivers, as mechanics, as electricians, as pilots — and as administrators. About 4,500 women served as spies for the United States intelligence agency (aka Office of Strategic Services), including as undercover agents. And 19 million women took over working roles left unoccupied by men fighting overseas.
Only 543 American women were killed in the war — 16 by enemy fire.
Images: Herbert Gehr/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
