20 Facts About WAVES

The WAVES were primarily white, but 72 African-American women eventually served.

WAVES did not want women in the Navy because it "would tend to break-up American homes and would be a step backwards in the progress of civilization".

WAVES's suggested that Barnard professor Elizabeth Reynard become a special assistant to Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, Chief of Naval Personnel.

WAVES's quickly formed the Women's Advisory Council to meet with Navy officials.

Reynard, who was later commissioned a lieutenant in the WAVES and rose to commander, was tasked with selecting a name:.

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WAVES's added that McAfee played an important role in the development of policies such as how the women would be treated compared to the men with respect to assignments they would take, as well as their housing conditions, supervision, and discipline standards.

WAVES officers were first assigned to recruiting stations in U S naval districts; later they were joined by enlisted personnel with recruiter training.

The WAVES were primarily white and they represented every state in the country.

The greatest numbers of WAVES came from New York, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Ohio.

Legislation that established the WAVES was silent with respect to race, but Knox said that black WAVES would be enlisted "over his dead body".

WAVES' uniforms were designed by the New York fashion house of Mainbocher; their services were secured through the efforts of Josephine Forrestal, a former fashion editor at Vogue and the wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

The enlisted WAVES trained at Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville, Burdett College in Boston, and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

WAVES served in 900 shore stations in the continental United States.

WAVES practiced their professions and applied their skills at many naval bureaus and stations in the United States.

The WAVES were responsible for 75 percent of the encoding and decoding of messages in the Office of Naval Operations.

Mission of the WAVES was to replace the men in shore stations for sea duty, which led to some hostility from those who did not wish to be released.

Many WAVES were acknowledged for their contributions to the country.

Two of the WAVES received the Legion of Merit, three the Bronze Star, eighteen the Secretary of the Navy's letter of commendation, and one, the Army Commendation Medal.

Almost all of the WAVES looked upon their service as beneficial and many said they would serve again under the same situation.

Ebbert and Hall contend that the WAVES' accomplishments helped to secure a place for the women in the regular Navy.