A Tribute to Valiant Women
BOOK REVIEW: Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II
By Lena S. Andrews / Mariner Books
Reviewed by Linda Weissgold
The Reviewer – Cipher Brief Expert Linda Weissgold retired from the Central Intelligence Agency with more than 37 years experience. Her final position was serving as Deputy Director for Analysis, responside for the quality of all-source intelligence analysis at the CIA. She previously served as head of CIA’s Office of Terrorism Analysis and as a Presidential Intelligence Briefer.
REVIEW — To learn from our history, we need to be aware of it. Lena Andrews’ new book, Valiant Women: The Extraordinary American Servicewomen Who Helped Win World War II, takes on this noble task by highlighting the vital role the more than 350,000 women who served in uniform during World War II had in the Allies’ victory. Women were present in every service, in every combat theater, and in nearly two-thirds of the military occupations of the time. Many were injured or died for their country. Yet, their stories have remained largely untold. Dr. Andrews’ engaging book helps to remedy this gap in the historic record, but also goes beyond being merely a recollection of noteworthy stories about the women who fought in WWII. She invites us to look at the war in a different way and to perhaps use that new perspective to understand that like WWII, the requirements of war in this modern era will stretch the capacity of even the largest and best prepared combatants. Going even further down this path would have resulted in me awarding an entire closet of trench coats.
In addition to the inspiring stories of women who served at all ranks, Valiant Women also recounts how and why women became an integral part of the war effort. As someone who spent close to four decades working to advance US national security, I can testify that a lot has changed when it comes to the role women have in decision making. Dr. Andrews describes the difficulty women had being in the room where decisions were being made, let alone being heard. On the other hand, I am honored to have been a part of CIA’s leadership team when the heads of all five of our directorates and the Agency were women. Nevertheless, many of the book’s accounts of the bureaucratic battles fought to incorporate women into the armed services, including securing equal rank, pay and benefits, sometimes felt a bit too familiar. More happily, the determination, ingenuity, and dedication of each of the women who led the first female military organizations also felt close to home.
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Women’s participation in WWII was deemed necessary by US military commanders because for the first time in our history the demands of war, especially the need for an unprecedented supply and support infrastructure, could not be met by men alone. As Andrews notes, WWII also ushered in the use of innovative doctrine like amphibious assault, strategic bombing, and joint combined arms, revolutionizing warfare for generations to come. Technologies used in WWII were cutting edge, and women helped to both develop and exploit these advances. It is not difficult to draw a comparison to how possible wars in our future will require similar whole of population approaches. At the conclusion of her book, Dr. Andrews suggests that “if you have the privilege of knowing a woman veteran of this war—or any war—take a moment to ask her about her service, and then listen carefully to what she tells you.” I second that suggestion for we still have so much to learn from our history to get ready for the future.
Author Note: Dr. Lena Andrews is a military analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, and while the views that she presents are hers and are not meant to convey official CIA positions, I could not help but feel a sense of pride as a former CIA Deputy Director for Analysis. I would like to think that her training played at least a small role in her initiative to tell a story that she felt needed to be told, her dogged research, and her ability to represent complex military strategy so clearly. Dr. Andrews and her colleagues know I have a special place in my heart for CIA military analysis, which I believe has truly helped to save lives. With this book, I believe that she did herself and her colleagues proud.
Valiant Women earns an impressive 3.5. out of four trench coats.
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