Abstract
Although women had served ably during World War I, mostly as clerical staff, legislation passed after the war had prohibited women from joining the military. With the coming of the Second World War, it was clear that women's skills were needed again. In July 1942, President Roosevelt signed the law allowing an expanding role for women in the Navy. Still, public response was uncertain. Even their name, WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), suggested that their status was...