The Henry Ford in Dearborn has opened a special exhibition honoring the contributions of nearly 350,000 American women who answered the call to serve their country during World War II.
The exhibit, “Our War Too: Women in Service,” was organized by The National WWII Museum, and is sponsored by The Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Foundation. Both organizations are in greater New Orleans.
Located in the Gallery by General Motors in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, the exhibit runs through Sept. 7.
While the American Home Front is often the focus of WWII-era women’s stories, “Our War Too” brings attention to the courageous and pioneering women who served in the uniformed branches of the U.S. military and the Women Airforce Service Pilots.
It also pays tribute to the 73,000 women who served in the Army and Navy Nurse Corps. The women stepped into vital roles in the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and beyond. They also forever changed the face of military service.
The exhibit features artifacts from the National WWII Museum’s collection that spotlight personal stories, motivations, and achievements of individual servicewomen. From nurses and drivers to engineers and bakers, the women filled critical roles — often in the face of social and institutional resistance.
Visitors also will experience interactive elements, including:
- A digital scrapbook featuring wartime memory books curated by women themselves.
- Three Short films examining the service and legacy of these trailblazing women.
- “We Were There” interactive biographies, utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence to allow guests to engage in virtual conversations with three WWII servicewomen:
- Romay Johnson Davis, driver in the segregated 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
- Virginia Leeman Wilterdink, U.S. Army nurse with the 314th General Hospital Unit
- Florence Smith, baker in the Coast Guard’s Women’s Reserve (SPARs)
The stations contain a library of more than 1,000 responses per subject, offering a personal, conversational glimpse into the lives of the military women.
For more information, visit thehenryford.org.
