or a managerial position in the field of education or government. The Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division. Brown’s position primarily included typing forms for soldiers with military leaves and discharges. A total of five black SPARs, including Yvonne Cumberbatch, D. Winifred Byrd, Julia Mosley, Aileen Cooke in addition to Hooker, would serve the Coast Guard as enlisted members during WWII.Left to right: Enlisted SPARs Olivia Hooker and Aileen Cooke pose on a ship's ladder in a photograph that includes the photographer's penciled in crop marks (United States Coast Guard, c. 1944); SPARs D. Winifred Byrd and Julia Mosley pose in front of a SPAR recruitment poster (United States Coast Guard, c. 1944). enlistment of critically needed women, That same year, Jeanine McIntosh became the first black woman pilot to fly for the Coast Guard.

A few black women enlistees were commissioned as In 1977, the first group of women were cleared for sea duty.

In 1918, twin sisters Lucille and Genevieve Baker became the first women to serve in the Coast Guard in an official capacity during WWI. Barracks were not established for female Coast Guard members, but Brown and other SPARs were issued stipends for subsistence and quarters and told to find their own housing. Short for long-range navigation, LORAN was a navigation system made possible through the use of low-frequency radio waves, which allowed passing Allied ships to geolocate themselves accurately. It was a privilege and honor to work at the beautiful Coast Guard Academy. Their presence reflects their own dedication to service and patriotism, and is forged from the spirit and tenacity of the SPARs during WWII. Nearly all had graduated from college, a third She was subsequently recruited into the Coast Guard, becoming its first female officer, and taking on the role of director of the women's reserve.Initially named the WORCOGS, for Women's Reserve of the Coast Guard, this unwieldy name was superseded by Stratton's own creation, SPARs, a play on the Coast Guard motto, Semper Paratus, and its meaning, always ready. Two of the most essential rates affecting men on the front lines were the Parachute Rigger, who tested and packed parachutes, and the Link Trainer Instructor, who ran the Link Trainer or flight simulators used to train new pilots. I loved it.”. (a) the high wages paid by war Talented Military Child Finds Purpose and Resiliency Through Cooking. The majority of SPARs entered the rate, or occupational specialty, of Stenographer or Typist, which saw them doing clerical duties in offices around the US, with a majority stationed at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. Female recruits had to be 20 years old to enlist. She had served 15 months and 12 days. SPARs like Dorothy Stellhorn ran the flight simulators as a Link Trainer Instructor at a Coast Guard Air Station in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. When her husband was killed by Japanese soldiers, Finch began helping resistance fighters and American prisoners of war in an effort to avenge his death, until she herself was captured, tortured and imprisoned.After her rescue by American forces in 1945, Finch traveled to be with family in Buffalo, NY, before joining the SPARs that summer.Though her time in the service was brief, she worked in the office of the Coast Guard League in Washington, DC., and left the service with the rank of Seaman Second Class when the SPARs were demobilized in 1947. Pay was equal to what their male counterparts made.Left to right: SPAR winter uniform (United States Coast Guard, c. 1942); SPAR pamphlet listing recruitment qualifications (United States Coast Guard, c. 1943). We’ll never share your email with anyone else, Chronicles of American Women: Your History Makers, Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project, Chicago’s African American Women in the Fight for the Vote, Learning Resources on Women's Political Participation, Women Vote, Women Win Social Media Graphics.

Brown earned an adequate salary and, because her meals and board were provided, she sent some of her paycheck to her family. Although most duties were clerical in nature, SPARS also worked on projects like rigging parachutes, driving vehicles and cooking. Like in all military branches during WWII, maintaining morale was an essential aspect of daily life.With songs like “The Girl of the Year is a SPAR” and “Women of the Sea,” the SPAR Song Book provided lyrics and memorable music for women to sing and was given to both cadets and enlisted recruits alike. ensigns before the end of the war. second Director of the SPARS became Captain Helen Schleman. She met and married a navy service member while working for Major E. Carl Engelhart's Army intelligence team. In 2019, it was announced that Fast Response Cutter 57 would be named in honor of Florence Finch, and a book recounting her incredible life story will be published in June of 2020.

"Where we are needed, there we serve — we are the girls of the Women's Reserve."

Collage: SPAR Parachute Riggers Doris Priest and Helen Laukzemis test and pack parachutes before handing them off to Coast Guard pilots (United States Coast Guard, c. 1942). “Patriotism was so high at the time!” Brown recalled. “People have thanked me for serving,” she said. For example, a small group of SPARS worked The reason that always left the casual inquirer wishing he hadn't asked was, 'My husband (brother, fiancé) was killed at Pearl Harbor...the Java Sea...Salerno...'”—An excerpt from Three Years Behind the MastBy 1942, WWII was well underway. The first SPAR recruits, a total of 34 women, were transferred from the Navy's WAVE program, and joint WAVE/SPAR recruitment offices yielded fewer SPAR enlistees. Tilley, John A. Despite her loyalty, Brown nearly didn’t get the opportunity to serve. — Excerpt from Three Years Behind the Mast. Their eyesight had to be easily correctible with glasses if not 20/20, their hearing reliable up to fifteen feet, and their teeth in good condition. As the last SPAR in her office, she typed her own discharge papers on June 20, 1946. Today, women comprise nearly 15 percent of the Coast Guard's active-duty force, and they serve in almost all available rates. Additionally, they would repair damaged parachutes and aviation fabric that covered the wings of planes. Photographs and documents were sourced from the following repositories and organizations: Central Connecticut State University, Elihu Burritt Library Veteran’s History Project, Jean Chittenden Collection. Finch was the first Filipina-American to serve in the SPARs and was the first woman to receive the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon for her heroism in the Philippines. In October of 1944, the Coast Guard opened enlistment to black women, further widening opportunities for women to serve their country. Lyne, Mary C., and Kay Arthur. She later completed Yeoman School, and in August 1945  Brown was assigned as a secretary at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. “Our duties as SPARs were to fill jobs men had done to allow them to go overseas to fight,” she said.

Male Coast Guard troops remained at the Coast Guard Academy, apart from the women.

SPARS during World War II. By July 1943, the SPARS had their own recruiters Terms of Use Bluffton author Kayleen Reusser published the book “World War II Legacies: Stories of Northeast Indiana Veterans.” Contact her at [email protected]. SPARs like Helen Laukzemis and Doris Priest carried out these crucial duties as Parachute Riggers in San Diego, California. Compliance, Terms of Use | Advertise | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Compliance. Women like Olivia Hooker, who were working in service separation offices, wrote their own discharge papers. “I wanted to stay, but unlike male servicemen who were offered the opportunity to re-enlist, we women were told we had to get out,” she said.

Recruiters were also hampered by: These women were under military direction, and they were subject to assignment according to the needs of the service. “I felt very humble because my activities in the war effort were trivial compared with those of people who gave their lives for their country.”—Florence FinchThe SPARs attracted many other amazing women, though none as brave as Florence Finch. “There were those who could hardly wait to be a part of the service, and there was at least one who admittedly stepped into a recruiting office to get out of the rain and who got into the Coast Guard as result. Known as the "women behind the men behind the Both were important duty stations and many As the eldest of four daughters in a family with no sons, Evelyn Beckman Brown of Fort Wayne felt it was her responsibility to fulfill her family’s duty during World War II. It was a good experience. "We send his mail rations, whatever his crew may need, check his radio, send his monthly dough, pack his 'chute and chart his speed, we're cam'ra-men and craftsmen, we drive a truck or a jeep, we're pastry cooks and draftsmen, on tower watch we never fall asleep—true blue and always ready, and standing behind the Tars! had even done some graduate work and 20 percent had earned master's degrees. The Navy recruiting office was in the same building.

(d) the hesitation of independent-minded WWII Coast Guard recruiting film for women SPARS Artifact Highlight: Mary Mills Weinmann Gift of John Weinmann, 2007.102 This SPARs uniform was issued to Mary Mills Weinmann, who served in the United States Coast Guard Women’s Reserve between 16 September 1943 and 30 September 1945. They had to be at least eighteen but no older than thirty-six years of age, a minimum of 5 feet tall, and weigh no less than 95 pounds.

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