The nurses dealt with hundreds of casualties from burns, gunshots and shock. Many nurses that served at that time were awarded Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars for their immaculate bravery and quick decisions that saved the lives of many service men and civilians. This was one of the first times in history that women were recognized and given a chance to prove themselves. There is no doubt that they saw some horrific things that day and for several days following December 7. They saw innocent people lying there dead, and even saw many of their own friends dead or severely wounded. But they kept pushing on from there on out.
Once the United States declared war, men were leaving their everyday jobs and signing up for the service. With all the men leaving, and the demand for supplies getting tighter, something needed to be done. Now, society could have gone back to child labor like it had been done in the previous years, but instead society took a BIG step and asked women to step up and take the open jobs. "Was it Patriotism and Propaganda that made women find war jobs? Or was it money, independence, companionship, and pride in learning new skills that motivated them" (Dr. Sharon Hartman Strom). Whatever their reasons, women changed and created a turning point in history forever. They were now able to experience what if felt like to earn their own money. For once they were in charge of the money and didn't have to ask anybody how to spend it. Industries needed workers and there was no longer room for discrimination of sex and color. Although society asked the women to take the jobs, there were still concerns about women in the work field, as an importance. In this time period social values were extremely important as were family traditions. By women working, people were worried these values were going to be broken down, or desensitized. Women were no longer at home waiting for the husbands to come home anymore, they were out taking charge and some people didn't like that idea.
