Document Type
Report
Keywords
Marine Corps Women's Reserve; Lorraine Turnbull; World War II; WWII; MCWR; World War II Letters; Gender and World War II
Publisher
Bryant University
Rights Management
All rights retained by Bryant University and Alyse Beauchemin and Hailey Hammick
Abstract
Pvt. Lorraine Turnbull was one of the thousands of American women to enlist in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve (MCWR) during the Second World War. Turnbull was one of the 500 women Marines selected out of a pool of 8,000 Women Reservists serving in the field of aviation for duty in Hawaii. Using hundreds of the letters written by Turnbull during her war experience, one is able to piece together the true impact of the war upon WWII military women. Using select letters written by Turnbull, this research project focuses on the elements of sexism women experienced in the MCWR, the significance of letter writing to these women, the true importance of the MCWR during WWII, and the overall expansion of opportunity given to Women Reservists through the MCWR.
