What do you think?
Rate this book
One Woman's World War II
Memoirs by sailors, soldiers and pilots who fought in World War II abound, but here is a a personal account by a woman who served in both the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and the American Red Cross during the war and after the occupation.
The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps was established in 1942, allowing American women for the first time to serve, in supporting roles, in the military. The following year, Violet A. Kochendoerfer, an independent and adventurous young Minnesota woman, joined the WAACs. Always alert to new opportunities, she soon left for a job with the American Red Cross and saw much of World War II in the European Theater of Operations as she served as director of service clubs attached to military units in Britain, France, and Germany.
Kochendoerfer tells of enduring buzz bombs in London as her 315th Troop Carrier Group took part in D-Day operations; of providing service clubs for the 82nd Airborne Division as it forced the last bridgehead of the war; of witnessing the final surrender of the main German Army and the liberation of a concentration camp; and of meeting and celebrating with the Russians after the Germans surrendered.
Her story, some of it told through letters she wrote home, provides a woman's unique perspective on historic events usually recounted only by men.
The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps was established in 1942, allowing American women for the first time to serve, in supporting roles, in the military. The following year, Violet A. Kochendoerfer, an independent and adventurous young Minnesota woman, joined the WAACs. Always alert to new opportunities, she soon left for a job with the American Red Cross and saw much of World War II in the European Theater of Operations as she served as director of service clubs attached to military units in Britain, France, and Germany.
Kochendoerfer tells of enduring buzz bombs in London as her 315th Troop Carrier Group took part in D-Day operations; of providing service clubs for the 82nd Airborne Division as it forced the last bridgehead of the war; of witnessing the final surrender of the main German Army and the liberation of a concentration camp; and of meeting and celebrating with the Russians after the Germans surrendered.
Her story, some of it told through letters she wrote home, provides a woman's unique perspective on historic events usually recounted only by men.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 1994
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 21, 2013
An unusual story of an American woman whose career at the Red Cross in Europe brought her professionalism. Kochendorfer recounts her dinner with Eisenhower, and she tells the story of what woman and the Red Cross did in Europe during the war.
May 19, 2019
This memoir is frank and reflective look at an ARC club director's experiences before, during and after WWII. It does have many typos, but it is well written, informative as well as entertaining.
December 21, 2023
2023 bk 309. Another in my collection of books by those who served in the American Red Cross during World War II. Despite rumors, these collections tell of the good done by the women and men of the ARC during the war - delivering coffee, donuts at all hours of the day and night to troop transports, providing places of relaxation behind the lines, and offering a glimpse of home. Kochendoerfer served with the battalion that saw the signing of the end of the war (arriving just afterwards), dealt with the complexity of working across the divided Berlin and Germany, and still was able to keep her sense of humor and joy in life. I had forgotten that while she doesn't name too many names, many of the people she runs across are those featured in other books that I own and it was good to make those connections.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews