The First Lady of World War II

By Shannon Mckenna Schmidt

Five weeks, twenty-five thousand miles, and an arduous secret journey of a brave First Lady.

August 1943. As World War II consumes much of the globe, Americans at home have no idea the extent of the horror their servicemen face. What they also don’t know is that Eleanor Roosevelt has boarded a military transport plane, heading to the Pacific theater on a mission to discover and report first hand accounts of the war. Anticipating familiar backlash from those who would prefer a prim and proper First Lady, as well as to help ensure her safety, Eleanor and the rest of the White House keep the journey a closely guarded secret—that is, until news breaks ten days later that she had left the country on a risky expedition.

The First Lady of World War II follows Eleanor on this rigorous and daring trek to Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia, through the South Pacific and into territory still under enemy air attack. Presenting a lesser-known part of Eleanor’s time as First Lady, author Shannon McKenna Schmidt reveals the adventures, secrets, and dangers of one fascinating woman’s determination to not hide from the pain of war, but to reveal the truth of it to herself and to the American people.

This audio program includes an archival recording of a speech given by Eleanor Roosevelt in Wellington, New Zealand, on August 29, 1943.