This month we celebrate Veterans Day, and our public consciousness is aroused to the thousands of stories of heroes who have served in uniform across the centuries. It’s unsurprising that despite our best efforts to study military history, it’s still quite possible to come across unsung military heroes whose stories haven’t been widely shared or celebrated. A book recently authored by retired Major General Mari Eder looks to shine light on some of those stories left unheralded by those of the Greatest Generation. Eder was inspired to bring their stories to life before they could only be memorialized in an obituary. The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II explains the experiences of 15 women who served and sacrificed, and many of them without any public recognition for their service.
This month we’re reading The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line as our November book club pick. We also reached out to Eder to find out why she chose to tell these stories, and the inspiration behind her efforts.
1. Retiring as a major general in the military is a pretty significant accomplishment in and of itself. You probably could have written a book on your own experiences as a female veteran – what made you decide to focus on the service of others?
I was really surprised as I began to uncover these stories to realize that I had never heard of many of these women, or others who served in different arenas. I didn’t know Charity Adams’ story or anything about the 6888 All African-American, all-female postal unit. Learning about these women who served, fought in the resistance, or did any number of other jobs made me want to know more. Their struggle was harder, I think. They didn’t have role models, mentors, or a support structure. But still they took risks and were determined to contribute. They didn’t expect awards or thanks; and were simply forgotten following the war. Not long ago I spoke with an USAF colonel; she had taught military history at the Air Force Academy. She said that she had never taught anything about women’s contributions in WWI, WWII or elsewhere, and that she had no reference texts written by women, and that she didn’t realize that there was something missing until reading my book. There is a gap in our knowledge and understanding of these times and these people. Until all of the stories are told, our understanding of the service experience is incomplete.
2. In your introduction you reference how women have served in a number of capacities in military service, since the Revolutionary War. But you focus the book specifically on the World War II time period – what prompted that decision.
Many people think of WWII as a long ago and far away era. But in many ways it was just yesterday – I started with WWII stories as I began to read a number of obituaries – as the members of the Greatest Generation began to pass from this earth in greater numbers over the past few years. You may notice that many of the women I wrote about passed away between 2017 – 2019. I found errors in many of these news articles – I wanted to do right by these women and tell their stories the best way I could. One of the first women I read about was Major Stephanie Czech Rader. She never talked about her wartime experiences as a counter-intelligence agent in the OSS. She only began to speak after OSS personnel records were unsealed in 2008. When she passed away in 2017, there was a campaign to award her the Legion of Merit – she had never been recognized for her service. The medal was presented at her funeral.
3. I love the title – ‘The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line’ – there are a few different references to that line – describe how the title came about.
By October 2019 I was thinking about how to tell the stories I was gathering and considering different formats, styles, ways of organizing my growing piles of material. Then I watched the Emmy Awards in October. Alex Borstein received the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Marvelous Mrs. Maizel. She said, “My grandmother turned toward a guard – she was in line to be shot into a pit – and said, ‘What happens if I step out of line?’ And he said, ‘I don’t have the heart to shoot you but somebody will.’ And she stepped out of line. And for that, I am here. And for that, my children are here. So, step out of line ladies. Step out of line.” Hearing this gave me chills and focused my purpose. These stories are about women who took risks, faced trials and sometimes frightening events but they sought to be part of something greater than themselves. Along the way many experienced a sense of belonging that changed their lives.
Do you think women still struggle to be recognized for their work?
I do think that women still struggle because there is an innate sense, particularly in the military, of being humble and not ‘tooting one’s own horn.’ It is an admirable quality but one that I think can work to the detriment of those who have every right to be recognized for their accomplishments, every right to compete for positions for which they are qualified and capable, and every right to belong….the ultimate goal always is – to be ‘one of us.’ We still have too many ‘firsts.’ The first woman to do this or that, to be promoted to a certain rank, etc. We need to be well past that by now. The volume of women serving today in so-called ‘nontraditional’ roles are making it happen.
