Web site details women’s history and contributions to the military
By Paul Bello
Staff writer
With March being Women’s History Month across the U.S., there’s no better time than now for Barbara Wilson’s own piece of Web real estate to flourish.
For 15 years, the retired Air Force captain has been steadfast at gathering information for a Web site dedicated to the history and success of women in the military. Her research includes, among others, achievements made during the American Revolution, Civil War, both World Wars and Operation Desert Storm.
“In World War I and World War II, women were in the line of fire. They were wounded, taken prisoner and killed. However, history and various rant organizations seem to leave that part out,” Wilson said. “That’s one of the reasons why I started this site. It just grew from there.”
Wilson said she started looking for information about military women online back in the mid ‘90s, but was frustrated at not finding much. She then called her Internet service provider and asked if they would be interested in hosting a page strictly for this purpose.
“They told me to go for it. It’s been a pet project of mine ever since,” Wilson said. “I don’t have a corporate sponsor and the government doesn’t pay for anything. With respect to donations, as much as I could use them, I think it would be both presumptive and arrogant of me to solicit them from individuals. Though, if any corporate entity would like to contribute - that’s different.”
Operating as a “one-woman band,” Wilson said she gets by with an old black and white bubble jet printer and a borrowed digital camera. Besides using the Internet for much of her research, she also buys books regularly on everything from keeping up with HTML to the latest on military women.
A one-time antique and collectibles dealer, Wilson said almost all of the images on her Web site come from her own personal collection of memorabilia about military women. One of those includes her favorite - a 1940s recruiting poster for the WAC that asks, “Are you a girl with a Star-Spangled Heart?”
“I have much memorabilia that adorns the walls of my den, so it’s really nice to include it on the site,” Wilson said. “I have seven bookcases in my home filled with everything from rare antiquarian books from the early 1800s to modern references from the ‘90s. Not to mention my years of service from 1949 to 1970 - that certainly adds to the experience factor.”
Retired now for 40 years, Wilson is pleased to answer questions about her Web site, particularly from students who come across it. Despite not having the time to research specific topics, she often finds herself making an exception.
“I don’t wish to disappoint the youngsters. So, if the item or person they’re looking for is on the site, I will send them the page,” Wilson said. “I try to answer them by explaining how to use a search engine to get more information. Every request from a student is answered individually. I’m more than happy to help.”
Wilson’s Web site is available at http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/faq.html. For more information, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
