Inscribed at the World War II Memorial, Washington DC
Who or what are the WAVES?
more about the establishment of the Navy Women's Reserve:
As the US role in World War II intensifed the Navy Women's Reserve Act was passed by Congress in July 1942and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The organization's official name became Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or "WAVES." WAVES were intended to cover noncombat duties. By 1945 there were more than 84,000 women enlisted in the navy.
Adapted from the Mariner's Museum section on Women and the Sea: Navy WAVES
For more on the history of the WAVES, see
The legislation for the Establishment of Women's Reserve, Public Law 689, H.R. 6807, 30 July 1942 [Chapter 538]S, reproduced at The Women of the WAVES
Sharing the Burden: Women in Cryptology during WWII, an NSA Historical Publication written by Jennifer Wilcox
Find much more about Women in the Military at the Links page of Women of the WAVES
Also check out a brief history of artwork by Howard Baer for the estalishment of the WAVES at the web site for the Albany Institute of History and Art.
The WAVES in Dayton
Coming soon: 1995 and 2001 Reunions
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Last upda
May 12, 2008
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