Book Review: Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women

Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women. Lita Tomas and Jean Marie McNamara, Master Wings Publishing, 29 March 2022, Hardcover and eBook, 282 pages.

Reviewed by Marcie Hill.

In the United States, the male-to-female ratio is approximately 50%, with women leading by a few points. Although women are progressing socially, educationally, and financially, they are still treated as second-class citizens. In the military, the number of women on active duty is smaller, and their treatment is much worse, as we learn in Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women written by Lita Tomas and Jean Marie McNamara.

Both women entered the military with hopes of getting military training to serve their country, to work in their prospective careers, and to receive the benefits promised in advertisements and commercials. They received lessons they never would have learned as civilians. And there was a stark contrast between their expectations and the realities of military life.

In Lita & Jean, we learn of their ambitions, accomplishments, strengths, and struggles as civilians and servicewomen. We also get firsthand accounts of how patriarchal systems failed to protect women - the archdiocese, the military, and judges in local courts, thus substantiating their roles as second-hand citizens. It was hard to believe that some of the actions taken by leaders of those systems occurred in the twentieth century.

Two of the biggest takeaways from this book for me were the strong bond between this mother and daughter and Lita’s strength as a mother. Lita supported Jean throughout her entire military career - from the moment she was accepted to her medical discharge. She did this while battling her own personal and professional challenges.

It was interesting to learn how, although Lita started in the service in the 1970s and Jean served in the 1990s, they met some of the same people; they both experienced sexual harassment, and they both had to take legal action against the male-dominated leadership of the military to ensure their physical and financial freedom. It seemed as if nothing had changed for women in the military over the two decades documented in the book.

The most emotionally arousing chapter in the book was Jean’s “Not All Injuries Come in Combat,” which documents the beginning of Jean’s military medical nightmare. Reading about the way Jean’s leaders and physicians treated her was infuriating and disappointing. She hurt herself in an accident and was misdiagnosed, medically mistreated, and assigned to physicians that did not have experience in the procedures she needed. In fact, the physicians put little effort into trying to find the root cause of her injuries in order to treat her correctly. Her superiors were very heartless and did not care about her as a human being or officer. They expected her to show up for drill weekends even though they knew of her medical challenges. They were unprofessional and uncaring throughout the entire situation, and their actions impacted her mentally and emotionally. Why would they send her to unqualified doctors, even if that was the protocol? Why wouldn’t anyone advocate for her? How would they have felt if they were continuously sent to physicians and specialists that had no experience with their medical condition and did not care to find out why they were in pain in the first place?

To make matters worse, of all of Jean’s injuries, some of which were life-threatening, the military wanted to discharge her for the least serious of the injuries. It was also the one medical condition that impacted women only. Being discharged for that injury would have meant that she would not have been able to “receive retirement, VA medical care, or any further medical treatment from them.” That was the epitome of sexist. But the love of Lita would not accept the blatant mistreatment and disrespect of her daughter. She fought through this medical nightmare with Jean, and they won!

As the book came to a close, Jean was finally getting the correct treatment for her physical condition. Lita had early onset of Alzheimer’s, but her strong will and modern medicine are helping her power through. Also, this mom and daughter team are helping others with their medical challenges by being advocates and offering resources.

Kudos to Lita and Jean for having the courage to share their struggles, sacrifices, and sorrows with strangers. It was great hearing the voices of women in the military, which are rarely heard. The bond between this mother and daughter is unbreakable, and the love of Lita for her daughter is unshakable. Be sure to read Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women written by Lita Tomas and Jean Marie McNamara.