Page 27 - San Diego Woman Military Coverage 2019

Woman of Distinction

Women of the War Effort, the Unsung Heroes

By Colleen Humfreville

Marguerite Higgins was described by other reporters and onlook- create a public space for themselves that had yet to be carved
ers as an “Alice in Wonderland” look-a-like: With blonde hair and out of the male-dominated society.
blue eyes, she was an unlikely candidate for being a reporter, What I realized along the way was that there were numerous
especially a war correspondent.. sources on the strides women made during the war. However,
During WWII Higgins was one of many women who were ques- what is soon lost in the literature is everything they did in the
tioned regarding their ambitions because of their gender, their context of the job itself. Unfortunately most sources utilize a lens
stereotypes being as that puts more
women of the home emphasis on
front and not the front their gender than
lines; preconceptions their individual
particularly dominant accomplish-
in the 20s, and 30s, In ments. Isn’t this
fact, in the 20s when perspective limit-
women first started ing in itself? Are
making their debut on there actions that
the society pages of have gone un-
numerous newspa- noted, unmarked
per syndicates, their by historical
domain was referred to records?
as the “Hen Coop,” – a Marguerite Hig-
nickname that needs gins was able to
little explanation. At capture stories
times, other reporters that no one else
36 were even sent by the managed to get.
city editor as a type of What is under-
punishment. When it played, though,
came to researching is that she had
these women (who went more published
against the expecta- articles during
tions of their time) most WWII that any
of the material was other reporter.
written by men; who She was the only
were outside the realm certified female
of what women would war correspon-
have experienced at the dent (out of 131
time. Isn’t that adding its reporters) in
own biased perspective Korea. She re-
on the material, its own ceived an award
narrowing lens? from the New
One thing is clear, York Newspaper
women made great ‘Women’s Club’
strides during WWII. as the best for-
With men leaving home eign correspon-
and work to fight for dence of 1945 for
their country on the front her coverage of
lines, women soon had the liberation of
the opportunity to take Dachau. The list
their places –with the goes on.
realization that these
jobs would probably be lost once the men returned. With such a The best sources, then, are those that not only acknowledge the
shortage, they filled the demand that manufacturing plants, other increased difficulties for women in participating in these new op-
industries, newspapers, and even the army required. Things still portunities, but also go beyond the scope of gender taking note
had to be taken care of, and the need for more hands had to be of all of these women’s accomplishments. One of Higgins’ fellow
met. correspondents once said of her, “The front line is no place for
The particular focus for my own research was on newspaper a woman, but it’s all right for Maggie Higgins,” and other women
women of WWII, specifically Marguerite Higgins. The story is the like her. Her gender did not stand in her way.
same everywhere: Higgins, and women like her, was fighting to