other resources:
America, Sea Power, and the World1 (Chapters available in RedShelf):
Chapter 13: Finding Certainty in Uncertain Time: The Navy in the Interwar Years
Chapter 14: World War II in the Atlantic and Mediterranean
Multimedia – Coast Guard in WWII:
Prompt:
Section A: For All Students (80% of the non Engagement/Teamwork discussion grade)
Select and answer one (1) of the following questions related to the history of the Naval Service covered in Module 3. Be sure to answer all parts of the question you select and clarify which question you are answering.
- The role of the Naval Service in defeating Germany and fascist Italy was an outgrowth of various interwar developments in areas such as strategy, technology, operations, tactics, personnel, etc. As a historian, identify which one (or two) you consider essential to the successful performance of the Naval Service and why.
- The Washington Naval Conferences and other post-World War One agreements limited new naval ship construction scrapped existing naval vessels, and prevented the fortification of possessions in the Pacific. While those things could be seen as negatives, what were some positive outcomes of these agreements for the U.S. Naval Service?
Section B Service-Specific Question (20% of the non Engagement/Team discussion grade)
Select and answer the question for your Service. In writing your answer, draw upon the Service-specific readings assigned in Module 3. Be sure to answer all parts of the question you select.
U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard Students
- What was the most important development during the interwar period for Naval Aviation?
To every woman
who wants a part in
winning this war
Never in history have American women been
offered such a chance to serve their country.
Never has there been such an urgent need for their
service.
This is total war — a war in which every woman
as well as every man must play a part. The men in
the Navy and Coast Guard are in for one reason
alone — to fight! They're in to fly the planes, man
the ships, smash the Nazis and Japs.
But to keep them lighting, there are important
service jobs that must be carried on at home —
man-size, full-time jobs which you, the women of
America, can fill — jobs in which you can serve
your country in your country and release the men
to fight at sea.
That is what you — as a member of the WAVES
or SPARS — can do to help win this war. How you
can do it is explained in detail in this book. Read
every word of it. Then take a step you'll be proud
of all your life—volunteer for the WAVES or
SPARS today.
S e c r e t a r y of the N a v y
On duty in the radio control tower of one of the great
Naval air bases. Helping to direct the take-off and landing of speedy fighters and huge 4-motored bombers, you're an integral part of Naval Aviation. And this is only one of the exciting and important jobs you may hold when you serve your country in the W A V E S or the S P A R S .
W h a t are the W a v e s and the Spars?
The W A V E S is an organization of women whose job is to
replace Navy men at shore stations. The SPARS is an organization
of women whose job is to replace Coast Guard men at shore stations.
As a member of the W A V E S or SPARS, you can wear the
same Navy blue, win the came ratings and earn the same pay as
America's finest fighting men.
And you'll hold the same shore jobs that are now filled by
men. At Navy and Coast Guard bases throughout the continental
United States W A V E S and SPARS do all types of office work.
They also are needed to fill jobs in radio, communications, store-
keeping. Some are needed for important posts in mechanics and
aviation ground work — as machinists, for example, or as operators
of the Link Trainer, that amazing device which teaches future
Navy pilots the principles of flying. Other women are needed for
various special or technical positions.
Whatever your work, wherever you go, you can be sure that
you are performing a very real, very vital service for your country.
It won't be any picnic. It's not a part-time "glamour" job — and
it's not meant to be. You are as much a member of the service as
any man with the fleet. It's full-time work. It will be hard work.
But as you're the sort of woman who loves America and honors
the brave men fighting to keep it free, it's work you'll be proud to do.
There are important positions in the W A V E S and SPARS for
women with experience in practically every field of business and
industry. Have you worked in an office as a typist, secretary,
operator of business machines, filing clerk or bookkeeper? You
will find ready use for your skill. Have you sold merchandise
or checked stock in a store? Do you know anything about radio,
telegraphy, photography? Did you ever work in a library, serve
at an information desk or telephone switchboard, do tailoring or
sewing? Have you a mechanical "bent"? If so, your knowledge and
experience will be valuable to the Navy. And it will help you to
rapid promotion and better pay.
On the other hand, suppose you have no special skill or
experience. There is a place for you, too, in the Navy. If you
can meet the physical and educational requirements, Navy training
will take care of the rest, fit you in a few short months for the post
where you will be of greatest service to your country and to your-
self. The following pages tell you about this training and where
you will get it.
Pleasant surroundings. W h e n you go into training for the W A V E S or S P A R S , you can look forward to spending as much as four months of "college life" on a beautiful campus like this.
You will share comfortable rooms at training school. The colleges turn over regular dormitories for your living quarters. You will be re- sponsible for keeping your own room ship-shape.
Good food and plenty of it — paid for by the Navy! No hurried drug store counter lunches for women at training school. You'll enjoy full-course meals served in the college dining hall.
Future radio operators get expert training in the Navy. Skilled in- structors and the finest equipment will fit you to do a better job for your country now, land a better peacetime job later.
First, you'll train at a leading college
After being sworn in and ordered to active duty as an enlisted
W A V E or SPAR, you will go first — at government expense —
to one of the training schools. These are located at colleges in
every part of the country. Typical of these are Indiana University
at Bloomington, Indiana; Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical
College at Stillwater, Oklahoma; University of Wisconsin at Madi-
son, Wisconsin; Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls, Iowa,
and Georgia State College for Women at Milledgeville, Georgia.
The school to which you are assigned depends upon the type of
job for which you are being trained.
The training period averages four months. The first month
is devoted to general indoctrination. During this time you'll get
into the swing of real Navy life. You'll learn Navy and Coast Guard
traditions and regulations. You'll learn the fundamentals of drilling.
You'll get up at reveille and go to bed at taps. You'll speak Navy
language. You'll call the floor of your room "the deck." The
walls, "bulkheads." The stairs, "ladders." The windows, "ports."
After indoctrination, some will be assigned to active duty, while
others will receive special training, the length of which will vary.
For instance, if you are an expert typist, you might qualify as a
Yeoman as soon as you finish your indoctrination. But if you are
studying for a more technical job, you will take the full-time
course. And you might even be sent to a Navy trade school after
that for further training by Navy experts.
You'll follow an interesting schedule
During your indoctrination training you'll live in the college
dormitories. Like a college student, you'll be expected to make
your bed and take care of your room. But you'll not have to do
any "messing" — that is, no cooking, waiting table or washing
dishes. As in college, most of your time will be spent in your classes
or in studying. You'll have a certain amount of marching and
drilling, but you'll also have time for sports and recreation.
You'll get "week-ends" at the discretion of your Commanding
Officer, and you can have dates. In other words, while you'll
work hard and keep to a military schedule, you'll also live in
pleasant surroundings with girls you'll be glad to call your friends.
And then, when you've successfully finished your training,
you're ready for the real thing — assignment to full-time duty at a
Navy or Coast Guard base within the continental United States.
Estelle Marshall had long been an amateur radio operator. Now her hobby fits her for one of the S P A R S ' most fascinating jobs. "As a Coast Guard radio operator," she says, "I'm tuning in on history as it happens!"
Julia Palmer is holding down a man- size job now. She had no special training, but she qualified for Para- chute Repair work at a Navy air base. "Thanks to my Navy train- ing," she says, "I'll rate a good job when the war is over."
Former store buyer Helen King found her job in the S P A R S made to order. "Storekeeping may not sound exciting, but it is," says Storekeeper King. "It's the job I like, and I'm proud to help my country by working at it."
"I'm making as much money as I ever did in my office job," says for- mer typist Sally Grant, now Yeo- man Grant of the W A V E S . "My pay and allowances come to more than $35 a week. And I expect a promotion soon!"
You step into an important
shore job at full Navy pay
It's a real thrill when you first report for active duty. You're
in the Navy now. Smartly uniformed, thoroughly trained, ready
to take a man's place and do a man-size job.
Perhaps you take over a Yeoman's job as secretary to a Naval
or Coast Guard Officer and release a man to serve on one of
Uncle Cam's new battleships or in the coastal patrol. Perhaps you
get a radio position at one of the Navy's air bases, and an Aviation
Radioman becomes free to fly—and fight—with the Naval air forces.
Whatever your job, you will carry the same responsibilities,
exchange salutes and command the same respect as any other
member of the uniformed forces. You'll be doing a job — not as
a man or as a woman — but as an American!
W h e r e will you serve?
Like any member of the Navy, you will be assigned to duty
where you are most needed — with the exception that you will
not be asked to serve outside the continental United States.
Among the possibilities are Miami, San Diego, Norfolk, Wash-
ington, D. C, the Navy Yard at Boston, the air bases at Corpus
Christi or Jacksonville or any other Naval or Coast Guard estab-
lishment where a well-trained woman can replace a man.
You will not select the base where you will be stationed,
but your request for service in a particular place will be given
consideration as long as it does not conflict with the needs of
the Navy or Coast Guard,
How will you live?
Your living and eating quarters will depend upon the location
at which you are stationed. In some places it is possible that you
will live in barracks especially built for the purpose. In towns
where there are a large number of W A V E S or SPARS, they will
probably be housed in groups. At other places you may arrange for
your own quarters. In this case you will be given an extra
allowance to pay for your food and rooms.
$200 worth of clothes free!
It's a proud moment when you
first step out in brand new Navy
blues! The trim uniform was espe-
cially designed by the famous stylist
Mainbocher to flatter every figure
and make you look — and feel —
your best!
When you arrive at training
school as an enlisted W A V E or
SPAR, you will be provided with an
allowance of $200 for uniforms and
other clothing. The official uniform
consists of "everything that shows,"
except shoes and gloves. The cost —
about $160 — is paid from the $200
allowance. The balance of about $40
is given you for shoes, underclothing
and anything else you may need.
The uniform for the W A V E S and
the SPARS is the same except for
the lapel insignia and hat band. It
consists of the following articles:
� Soft crowned hat, rol led brim, black band.
� Short , Navy blue jacket , s l ight ly built-up shoulders, new rounded collar and pointed lapel. Blue and white insignia for W A V E S and gold for S P A R S .
� Flat ter ing, six-gored skirt .
� Reserve blue and dark blue shir ts .
� Black seaman's tie.
� Smar t , over-the-shoulder, leather pouch bag (Opt iona l ) .
� W h i t e gloves in summer, black in winter .
� Beige lisle hose.
� B lack oxfords, heels not over ll/2 inches.
� Raincoat and havelock ( r a i n h a t ) , becoming protection for bad weather .
A s an enlisted W a v e or Spar you earn
up to $126 monthly — plus allowances
Many women are now earning as much money in the W A V E S
and SPARS as they ever did in their civilian jobs. You will enlist
as Apprentice Seaman at $50 a month. And remember, that money
is just your base pay, just a part of your income — because in ad-
dition, all your living expenses are paid. You'll get good food, com-
fortable quarters, the finest medical and dental care, and $200
worth of clothing — all free. In cases where government facilities
are not available, you'll receive, in addition to your pay, subsistence
and quarters allowances totaling $2.75 a day.
Also as a member of the W A V E S or SPARS, you will be en-
titled to allowances for your dependents on the same basis as men
in the Navy or Coast Guard. You can buy life insurance at the same
low government rates. And, like any other member of the uniformed
services, you will get the privileges of free mail, reduced rates on
transportation, movie and theatre tickets where granted, and you
may benefit from such organizations as USO, Red Cross, and Navy
Relief.
The Navy wants you to become skilled in your job. You don't
have to ask for promotions. You can go ahead fast. If you're willing
and able, they'll come to you automatically. And each one is accom-
panied by a raise in pay.
The table below shows the steps by which you can advance
and the base pay you'll receive as an enlisted W A V E or SPAR:
SEE HOW YOUR NAVY PAY GOES UP
�Subs i s tence and quar te rs a l lowances are in addition to your base pay.
RATE MONTHLY BASE PAY*
Apprentice Seaman $ 5 0
Seaman, Second Class 54
Seaman, First Class 66
Petty Officer, Third Class 78
Petty Officer, Second Class 96
Petty Officer, First Class 114
Chief Petty Officer, Acting Appointment 126
Jacksonville, Florida — one of the newest and greatest of Navy air bases. Here are trained thousands of Navy fliers — men who'll wear the Navy "Wings of Gold" — heroes who are writing a glorious new chapter in American battle history.
New York City — an exciting place to work — an exciting place to live. Headquarters of the Third Naval District are located here, with offices in one of I Manhattan's most famed skyscrapers.
San Diego Naval Base — in
One of the busiest and most it's the base from which ships way to fight the Japs.
sunny Southern California. important of Pacific ports,
and men set sail on their
Washington, D. C. — the nation's capital and the heart of America's war effort Here are made the decisions, from here flash the orders that send our fleets into action in every part of the world.
Sample question from the aptitude test required of all W A V E S and S P A R S . If you have a high school education, you should pass it easily. No advance preparation is required.
It's a proud moment when you raise your right hand and swear allegiance to your country. From then on, you step into a new life— in the service of Uncle Sam!
Can you meet these requirements?
Here are the requirements for enlisted women.
Check your qualifications against them.
TERM OF ENLISTMENT — You will
enlist for the duration of the war.
You will be discharged within six
months after the war ends.
CITIZENSHIP — You must be a
native-born American, or if you are
not native-born, you or your parents
must have naturalization papers.
You must show written proof of
citizenship when you apply.
AGE — On the date of enlistment,
you must be at least 20 years old
and not yet have reached your 36th
birthday. If you are under 21, you
must have the written consent of
your parents or guardian.
MARRIAGE — A married woman
may enlist in the W A V E S , provid-
ed her husband is not in the Navy.
A married woman may enlist in
the S P A R S , provided her husband
is not in the Coast Guard. You may
not marry during indoctrination
and/or training. After indoctrin-
ation and training, if you marry a
man in the Navy (in the case of a
W A V E ) or a man in the Coast
Guard (in the case of a S P A R ) ,
you must resign or be discharged.
DEPENDENTS — Women with chil-
dren under 18 will not be accepted
for enlistment in the W A V E S or
S P A R S .
CHARACTER — The Navy and Coast
Guard want women of good char-
acter. When you enlist, you will be
asked to furnish 3 references.
EDUCATION — You must have had
at least two years of high school or
business school. For some classifi-
cations you must be a graduate of
a high school or business school.
In all cases, you must have a high
standard of achievement in your
own field.
EXPERIENCE — You will be asked
to submit a record of your occupa-
tion since leaving school.
PHYSICAL — You must pass a Navy
physical examination to show you
are in sound health.
HEIGHT — You must be at least 5
feet.
WEIGHT— You must weigh at least
95 pounds, and your weight must
be in proportion to your general
body build.
EYES — Your vision must be not
less than 6/20 in the worst eye, with
binocular vision (two eyes) not less
than 12/20. Each eye must be cor-
rectable with glasses to 20/20. Note:
12/20 vision means that you can
read at 12 feet what perfect eyes can
read at 20.
HEARING — You must be able to
distinguish whispered words at 15
feet.
TEETH — Natural teeth must be in
sound condition, or you must have
satisfactory replacements.
Officers in the W a v e s and Spars
College women can earn commissions in the
W A V E S and SPARS. Most of them will qualify as
Ensigns. A limited number (as specified by Act of
Congress) can become Lieutenants (Junior Grade)
and Lieutenants (Senior Grade). They will draw
the same pay and allowances as men Officers of
equivalent rank in the Navy. Uniforms for Officers
will be the same as for the enlisted personnel except
for the Officers' hat, gold buttons, white dress shirt
and the reserve blue stripes designating their rank.
Officers in the W A V E S and SPARS will hold responsible
positions. Previous experience in any of many different fields will
be a valuable asset to the Officer candidate, but it is not by any
means a "must" requirement. The chief qualifications, in addition to
college training, are alertness, energy, integrity, leadership qualities
— and above all, the urge to serve your country.
Women who have held positions in business . . . personnel
officers who have had experience in handling groups of women . . .
teachers . . . recreational directors — all these can serve as Officers
in the W A V E S and SPARS, doing work very similar to that in
which they have been engaged in civil life. Also needed are women
WAVE OFFICERS present a picture of military snap and precision as they
undergo inspection following graduation from the indoctrination course.
who have had technical training and practical experience in engi-
neering, communications, electronics physics, radio and similar
fields.
Officer candidates are enlisted as Apprentice Seamen. After
successfully completing one month's indoctrination, some will be
appointed Reserve Midshipmen; others will be appointed Proba-
tionary Officers in the appropriate rank on the recommendation
of the Commanding Officer of the training school and will con-
tinue their indoctrination course for a second month.
Those appointed Reserve Midshipmen will take a communica-
tions course of approximately two months at the Women's Reserve
Midshipmen's School. On successfully completing this course, they
will be awarded their commissions in the appropriate rank on the
recommendation of the Commanding Officer of the training school
and assigned to active duty ashore.
Those who are appointed Probationary Officers and who com-
plete their second month of indoctrination successfully will be
given regular commissions and assigned to active duty ashore.
All candidates for commissions in the W A V E S and SPARS
will receive their preliminary training at Smith College, Northamp-
ton, Mass., or at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass.
Requirements for Officers
Candidates for commissions in the W A V E S and SPARS must meet
the same requirements as enlisted women except in 3 respects:
A G E — A t date of enlistment, 20 to PHYSICAL—Same as for enlisted 49 inclusive. women with these two exceptions: EDUCATION — College degree or two 1. Eyes: Minimum vision in each eye years of college work plus at least 12/20, corrected to 20/20. two years of acceptable business or 2. Teeth: Minimum of 18 sound professional experience. Also two teeth, with at least 2 molars op- years of mathematics in high school posing on each side and 4 or college for the W A V E S . opposing front teeth.
For an application blank for a commission in the WAVES or SPARS, write
to the nearest Office of Naval Officer Procurement listed on the last page
of this booklet. Or if there is an office close by, you may call in person.
With your request enclose the following information: (1) age and date
of birth; ( 2 ) educational background; (3) marital status; (4) the number
and ages of your children; (5) husband's occupation.
ENLISTED WOMEN MAY BECOME OFFICERS. The only way a non-
college woman can win a commission in the W A V E S or S P A R S is
to come up "through the ranks." Not many will qualify. It calls for
hard work and real ability, but it is a goal well worth trying for.
1 . First, you will write or call in person for an application blank. After you receive it, fill in all answers carefully, follow all instructions, then mail blank to the Naval Office from which you received it.
2 . If your application is satisfactory, you'll be called to the Office of Naval Officer Procurement. There you'll be in- terviewed by Naval Officers and arrange to take the aptitude test.
3 . Then comes a physical check-up by expert Navy doctors. Requirements are thorough but not too difficult. Any young woman in sound health should be able to pass the examination with flying colors.
4. It's a thrilling moment when you raise your right hand and are "sworn in." From then on you're in the service of Uncle Sam, ready to do a man-size job for your country!
5 . Off for training school! The Navy takes care of all expenses. Meals in the dining car. A Pullman berth for overnight travel. And you'll find comfortable quar- ters ready for you when you arrive.
7 . Training schools are located at some of the country's finest colleges. Typing, radio operation, communications, me- chanics are only some of the skills you may acquire.
9 . And now — a full-fledged member of the service — you go on active duty at one of the big Naval bases. You'll be in the thick of all that's exciting and important in America at war.
6 – Yes , it's really you ! You'll feel proud — and rightly so — when you first see yourself in trim Navy blues. Complete outfit — $200 worth of clothing — is fur- nished you free as an enlisted woman.
8. A t training school you'll follow an interesting schedule. Athletics, games, recreation with friendly companions are yours to enjoy in addition to the valuable training under expert Navy teachers.
1 0 . Yes. your salute will be recognized even by an Admiral. And you deserve recognition! F o r yours is a big job — a service to your country you will be p