The FReeper Foxhole Profiles World War II era WAVES - March 14th, 2004

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/prs-tpic/females/wvw2-rc.htm ^

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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World War II era WAVES

After a twenty-three-year absence, women returned to general Navy service in early August 1942, when Mildred McAfee was sworn in as a Naval Reserve Lieutenant Commander, the first female commissioned officer in U.S. Navy history, and the first Director of the WAVES, or "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service".



In the decades since the last of the Yeomen left active duty, only a relatively small corps of Navy Nurses represented their gender in the Naval service, and they had never had formal officer status. Now, the Navy was preparing to accept not just a large number of enlisted women, as it had done during World War I, but female Commissioned Officers to supervise them. It was a development of lasting significance, notwithstanding the WAVES' name, which indicated that they would only be around during the wartime "Emergency".



Establishing the WAVES was a lengthy effort. Inter-war changes in the Naval Reserve legislation specifically limited service to men, so new legislation was essential. Though far-sighted individuals in the Navy Department, and especially in the Bureau of Aeronautics, had long known that uniformed women would be a wartime necessity, general service opinion was decidedly negative until the crisis at hand. Even then, creative intrigue had to be used to get an authorization through The Congress. President Roosevelt signed it into law on 30 July 1942. The next few months saw the commissioning of Mildred McAfee, and several other prominent female educators and professionals, to guide the new organization.



Recruiting had to be undertaken (or at least managed, as the number of interested women was vast), training establishments set up, an administrative structure put in place and uniforms designed. The latter effort produced a classic design that still has many elements in use nearly six decades later. Difficulties were overcome with energy and indispensable good humor, and within a year 27,000 women wore the WAVES uniform.



These women served in a far wider range of occupations than had the Yeomen (F). While traditionally female secretarial and clerical jobs took an expected large portion, thousands of WAVES performed previously atypical duties in the aviation community, Judge Advocate General Corps, medical professions, communications, intelligence, science and technology.





The wartime Navy's demand for them was intense as it struggled to defeat Hitler and Mussolini in Europe and the Japanese in the Pacific. At the end of the conflict, there were well over 8,000 female officers and some ten times that many enlisted WAVES, about 2 ½ percent of the Navy's total strength. In some places WAVES constituted a majority of the uniformed Naval personnel. And many remained in uniform to help get the Navy into, and through, the post-war era.

A special image selection on the Navy's World War II era WAVES, selected from the more comprehensive coverage can be found in the following links:

• Recruiting and Training;
  

• Quarters & Meals;
  

• Recreation, Leisure & Good Deeds;
  

• Ship and Aviation Orientation;
  

• Transportation
  Transportation Part II;
  

• Occupations--Aviation Related;
  

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[SAMWolf]

Sounds like we need a backup plan. I have no idea what my schedule is going to be or where we're going and when. Check your E-mail.

[snippy_about_it]

We'll post a thread everyday at least, it just may be earlier or later depending on when we can be on. Not to worry. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

It's my job to worry about the Foxhole :-)

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. And mine as well. I just have more faith. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Faith? What's that? ;-)

[Professional Engineer]

Howdy ma'am.

Here's my wave.

[GailA]

That's what I thought. Demographic wise whites out number all other races, so they would have been more prevalent. Farm boys who grew up with guns in their hands probably fared better than city bred did. Our generation were the first to have the highest number of college grads I think..many went to college to avoid the draft. For some it worked out, others got drafted when they graduated college because the war dragged on so long.

[SAMWolf]

Good Afternoon, PE. Sister, Right?

[SAMWolf]

64% said - No

Thank you, Poland. you know how important this war is.

[snippy_about_it]

That's right! Your lovely wife is Navy. You lucky guy you!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Happy Sunday, all!

[Professional Engineer]

Hiya Sam.

Good Afternoon, PE. Sister, Right?

Um, incest is best? LOL

My wife was Navy. This is my sister.

[SAMWolf]

Afternoon Victoria. Nice series of plates you've been posting.

[SAMWolf]

Oops. I new you had posted your sisiter's picture once before. Now she'll be PO'd cuz I accused her of being a Squid.

[SAMWolf]

I never understood the "I have no idea" category, how can you have no idea or opinion?

[stand watie]

HI, snippy!

free dixie,sw

[Victoria Delsoul]

Afternoon Sam. Thanks, I like them too, they're nice and colorful. How's your Sunday going?

[Professional Engineer]

1879 Albert Einstein Ulm Germany, (E=mc²/Theory of Relativity, Nobel 1921)