Reference Entry
CREATION OF THE NAVY’S WAVES PROGRAM
As the demands of World War II grew, the United States Navy struggled to man new ships, bases, and shore commands. On July 30th, 1942, a law created Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, better known as WAVES, within the Naval Reserve. For the first time, women could serve as commissioned officers and enlisted sailors in the Navy in large numbers, though they were limited mainly to shore-based roles.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Creation of the Navy’s WAVES program
As the demands of World War II grew, the United States Navy struggled to man new ships, bases, and shore commands. On July 30th, 1942, a law created Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, better known as WAVES, within the Naval Reserve. For the first time, women could serve as commissioned officers and enlisted sailors in the Navy in large numbers, though they were limited mainly to shore-based roles. Thousands answered the call, taking on duties in communications, logistics, intelligence, maintenance, and training that freed men for sea duty. The program challenged older ideas about who could serve and where, even as it reflected the gender assumptions of its time. By war’s end, WAVES had become an indispensable part of naval manpower. Their experience laid groundwork for the permanent integration of women into the sea services in the decades that followed.
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