THE FIRST STREET JOURNAL.

It’s the weekend and time, once again, for THE FIRST STREET JOURNAL’S version of Rule 5 Blogging. Robert Stacy McCain described Rule 5 as putting pictures of pretty women somewhat déshabillé, but, on this site, our Rule 5 Blogging doesn’t put up pictures of Jennifer Love Hewitt in her summer clothes, but women, in full military gear, serving their countries in the armed forces. The terribly sexist authors on this site celebrate strong women, women who can take care of themselves and take care of others, women who have been willing to put their lives on the line in some not-so-friendly places, women who truly do have the “We can do it!” attitude.

The debates about women in combat roles has changed with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; there have been no neat “front lines,” and combat action has taken place everywhere; the exposure of our female soldiers and Marines to combat situations has simply happened. But this is hardly the first time: during World War II, where there were distinct front lines, partisans fighting against the Nazis were behind the lines, and the distinctions for keeping women out of combat didn’t exist; women fought because women had to fight.

Soviet 487th Fighter Aviation Regiment from World War II

Soviet partisan fighters during World War II

French resistance fighters during World War II

Partisan fighters with Antifašistički front žena (Anti-Fascist Women’s Front) in Slovenia, July 1943.

Partisan fighters in Croatia