s ▁Association , ▁a ▁body ▁which ▁sought ▁to ▁help ▁soldiers ' ▁w ives . ▁Her ▁work ▁with ▁this ▁body ▁drew ▁her ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁pl ight ▁of ▁war ▁wid ows . ▁In ▁a ▁society ▁built ▁around ▁cou ples , ▁they ▁were ▁single , ▁having ▁lost ▁not ▁only ▁their ▁hus b ands ▁but ▁also ▁their ▁social ▁status . ▁As ▁such , ▁they ▁were ▁often ▁rejected ▁by ▁their ▁married ▁female ▁friends . ▁Many ▁found ▁themselves ▁facing ▁the ▁awesome ▁responsibility ▁of ▁raising ▁children ▁without ▁f athers . ▁Some ▁found ▁themselves ▁faced ▁with ▁having ▁to ▁make ▁dec isions ▁independently ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁their ▁lives . ▁They ▁also ▁faced ▁real ▁financial ▁hard ships ▁and ▁a ▁cold ▁and ▁seem ingly ▁un car ing ▁government ▁b ureau c racy . ▁ ▁Alan ▁was ▁support ive ▁of ▁this ▁work . ▁" They ▁come ▁to ▁me ... ▁time ▁and ▁time ▁Jess ," ▁he ▁told ▁her ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁" es pecially ▁before ▁a ▁show , ▁and ▁say : ▁' S ir , ▁if ▁anything ▁happens ▁to ▁me ▁you ' ll ▁see ▁that ▁my ▁wife ▁and ▁k ids ▁are ▁all ▁right ?' ▁And ▁I ▁tell ▁them ... ▁yes , ▁you ▁know ▁blo ody ▁well ▁I ▁will ." ▁ ▁On ▁ 5 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁– ▁just ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁later ▁– ▁Alan ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁an ▁air ▁crash ▁near ▁C air ns ▁and ▁Jess ie ▁became ▁a ▁war ▁wid ow ▁herself . ▁ ▁War ▁wid ow ▁▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 5