Need for women in war effort stressed
Every Sunday, "Back in the Day" looks at an article that ran on this date in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The items are verbatim, so don’t blame us today for yesteryear’s bad grammar.
There is a place in Hawaii’s civilian defense organization for every member of the community.
This was emphasized by Charles J. Henderson, deputy territorial director of civilian defense, in a talk today to a group of women in the final class in home protection of the women’s division of the office of civilian defense at Central Intermediate School.
"With the decrease in the number of women left in Hawaii the individual responsibility of each of you has increased proportionately," Mr. Henderson said. "Those of you who remain here are virtually under obligations to assume these responsibilities and to carry them out with dispatch."
Mr. Henderson said the future of Hawaii and the nation depends on the help of every man and woman in the territory.
"We will need women who are leaders and we must have women who have initiative.
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"The information you will receive here is part and parcel of a program that is tangible, practically and vitally necessary for everyone living in Hawaii today — an Hawaii that is the stepping stone to victory in the Pacific."
"Under the conditions, every one of us has a terrific responsibility to the nation. Bankers and mechanics, waitresses and secretaries, must each pull their own weight on the oars if we are to reach our destination.
Mr. Henderson carefully outlined the civilian defense organization and pointed out the wide scope of opportunities for women volunteers.
He stressed the importance of volunteers by pointing out that the Oahu civilian defense corps has a paid staff of 134 and a volunteer strength of 4,000.
"No person is too important to serve and no one is too insignificant.
"There is a job for every member of the community somewhere in the civilian defense organization," Mr. Henderson said.
More than 200 women attended the class. Children were cared for at the home of Bishop and Mrs. S. Harrington Littell.
