The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-27

pher, or a sales clerk, or junior
executive, or a school teacher, or a
housewife, or just plain "at home"
Today the same young woman,
wearing trim Navy blue uniform,
may be an aviation machinist's
mate, yeoman, hospital appren-
tice, a parachute rigger, or one of
a dozen other ratings She's one of
some 21,0OO WAVES who now con-
stitute the Women's Reserve, U. S.
Naval Reserve, and who this week
will celebrate the first anniversary
of their organization.
When President Roosevelt on July
30, 1912, signed the bill authorizing
the WAVES, the idea of women in
Naval offices seemed strange enough
to members of the Naval establish
ment. Today, WAVES in Naval Of
fees, at air stations, at hospitals, at
Navy yards, at dockside section
bases, and WAVES in coveralls in
hangers or parachute lofts work
alongside veteran bluejackets with
hardly ripple of attention. To
WAVES, indeed, it is matter for
some Impotence that while the
Navy has accepted them and found
their work in many cases better
than that of men whom they have
freed for sea duty, to the general
public their duties seem compare
lively unknown.
Third District
In the Third Naval District, where
! the first enlisted WAVES from train
ing schools did not arrive until No
vember of 1912, there are now more
than 1000 of the Women's Reserves
on duty, besides the 5000 or more
boot" recruits are known in
the Navy-in training at the U. S.
S. HUNTER" the Bronx, New York.
Add to that more than a hundred
WAVES officers and enlisted women
attached to the Eastern Sea From
tier, with headquarters in New York
city, and the number within the
three-state area of the Third Naval
District reaches a total of 1854
WAVES actually on the job in some
so different Naval activities.
Numerically, the Naval Air Sta
ton, at Floyd Bennett field, Long
Island, near New York city, leads
all other district activities in
WAVES personnel, which typifies
definite trend in the WAVES. Serv-
ice In aviation activities has prob
ably the most lure for the young
women who apply for enlistment in
the Women's Reserve, and Naval
aviation activities have been con-
spicuous in the service in demand
ing WAVES personnel.
Already at Floyd Bennett field
there are some 1870 WAVES, most of
them enlisted personnel. For the
nation, this years quota of WAVES
in aviation is 1880, and the Third
Naval Districts total will be in pro-
portion. Just as British WRENS
have become expert aviation mech
anics, American women have shown
great aptitude for tinkering with
cowling and generators and propel-
lers, and actually are at work today
at air stations in such jobs.
WAVES already are rated as avia-
ton metalsmiths, parachute rig
gers, link trainer operators (they
teach pilots how to fly on instru-
ments), aviation machinist's mates
and aerOgrapherS NAVAL lingo for
weather experts). They are learning
to operate airport tower controls
and they already handle logging of
flights, weather charts and much
of the detail work of the naval air
stations which guard the sea coasts
of the United States.
Hunter College
OF the 16 training centers to
which WAVES are sent after COM
plotting their primary boot" instruc-
ton at Hunter College, the Bronx,
seven are air stations. Another is for
training in gunnery, which WAVES
teach to flyers, and at the others,
many WAVES are trained as radio
men, yeomen or StorekeeperS, for
aviation duty.
But aviation is far from the only
field open to WAVES. Other activi-
ties are preferred by many of those
in the Third Naval District. Each
of the so or more offices where blue
clad Women's Reserves are now on
duty has its own cheering sections
Work in hospitals, always, always
considered especially the sphere OF
women. is another popular field.
WAVES who start as hospital APP
prentices or pharmacists mates get
valuable training for civilian posi-
lions or for married life. Others
with experience as medical techni-
clans or therapists are given ad-
vanced ratings when they complete
training. All have the opportunity
of working to ease the suffering or
aid the recovery of Navy men who
have been wounded In the Solomons