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thedrifter
11-05-07, 06:41 AM
Rosie the Riveter and more at Rochester World War II exhibit
BY MICHAEL BURKE
Journal Times
Sunday, November 4, 2007 11:55 PM CST


VILLAGE OF ROCHESTER — Historical re-enactors often adopt the U.S. Civil War or American Revolutionary War as their era of choice.


Sandy and Jamie Faulkner of Racine do the same thing with the seemingly more familiar World War II — but with a twist. They concentrate on the role of American women in that war.


Sandy lent part of her extensive historical collection, and all of her expertise, to Rochester Sunday afternoon for a display at the Municipal Building. The Rochester Area Historical Society sponsored the event.


Although hundreds of thousands of women were in the U.S. military in World War II, making countless contributions, their roles may be somewhat overlooked or forgotten today.


Faulkner recalled doing a show in Rockford, Ill., where she met a woman who’d been an Army nurse during the war. When te woman said that, Faulkner said, the woman’s son turned to her with amazement; he had no idea his mother was anything but an ordinary nurse during that time.


By day, Faulkner, 41, is a special education teacher at Jerstad-Agerholm Middle School. She noted the appropriate coincidence: The school is named for two World War II war heroes from Racine, John Jerstad and Harold Agerholm.


Faulkner brought about three-fourths of her "table" artifacts and only about 8 percent of her war uniforms Sunday. The entire uniform collection requires one bedroom, 120 hangers and 650 square feet of display space.


The couple also owns a restored 1942 war ambulance.


Every U.S. military service branch had a female component in World War II, Faulkner said. In the Marines, they were simply called Marines. But in every other branch, they had their own name and acronym.


For example, Sunday Faulkner wore a Women’s Army Corps uniform. There were 315,000 WACs, and they are likely the best-known women’s branch.


The Navy had the Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services.


Least known may have been the Women Airforce Service Pilots. They all started as civil pilots, and only 1,074 of them completed WASP training, Faulkner said.


She beamed with pride at her "crown jewel," one of the few WASP uniforms ever worn — an eBay purchase.


WASPs, Faulkner said, flew new military planes from the factories to the bases, flew test runs and pulled "target socks" for artillery practice.


"Some women were shot out of the skies," she said. "Quite a few WASPs were from Wisconsin, where they were crop-dusting pilots."


Faulkner said there’s a high heavy trade in artifacts such as the ones she collects. Many bidders are European, where American war re-enactments are popular.


Mmany bidders are Japanese, she said.


With such demand, values are fast-rising. "Things I paid $100 for five years ago now are going for $350 or $400," she said.


Mary Lee of Racine said she appreciated Faulkner’s collection. "It was all interesting," Lee said. "She’s got tons of history here.

"They were interesting people, that generation," Lee said. "If there was something to be done, they just went and did it."

Ellie