Talk:WAVES

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Featured articleWAVES is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so.
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Article milestones
DateProcessResult
February 13, 2016Good article nomineeListed
April 17, 2018WikiProject A-class reviewApproved
October 22, 2018Peer reviewReviewed
January 20, 2019Featured article candidatePromoted
Current status: Featured article

Unknown[edit]

are you soure WAVE is an acronym and not a backronym¡? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.161.61.85 (talk) 01:18, 30 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Is this correct?[edit]

I moved the following paragraph here because I could not verify it. Sources I've seen indicate that the WAVES were disbanded after WWII:

The WAVES continued to serve through the Vietnam War. WAVES officer candidates were trained for 16 weeks at the Newport, Rhode Island Naval Base. Enlisted WAVES were trained at United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge. During the 1970's consideration was given to allowing WAVES to serve aboard ships. Ultimately, LT Valerie Zeller, USNR, was assigned to two weeks reserve duty aboard the USS Sanctuary in 1975. A few years later, the WAVES were disbanded and women were allowed to serve on ships and be assigned to all Navy specialties.

ike9898 03:12, 18 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]


    • The WAVES were NOT disbanded at the end of World War II. Most of them were discharged, but a small number of dedicated officers and enlisted women under the leadership of Captain Joy Bright Hancock were laying plans for a campaign to have the WAVES made a permanent part of the Regular Navy. Their hard work paid off in 1948, when the women's components of all the armed forces were made permanent.

See Hancock, Capt. Joy Bright, Lady in the Navy US Naval Institute Press.

204.27.190.53 22:25, 26 April 2007 (UTC)RogerInPDX[reply]


I have re-written some of the opening paragraphs explaining the differences between the WAAC, WAC, and WAVES. I realize this article is not about the WAAC or the WAC, but it incorrectly stated that the WAC came into existence about two months before the WAVES. In fact it was the WAAC (Women's AUXILIARY Army Corps). Also, it's not really possible to discuss the beginning of any of the women's services without some mention of the others.

I am also wondering whether the famous WAVE uniform designed by Mainbocher should be mentioned. This article is not about fashion, but in the beginning proper uniforms were a major consideration. It also demonstrates how the Navy took a more organized approach to these issues than the Army did, and why the WAVE uniform was somewhat more fashionable than the uniform of the WAAC/WAC. RogerInPDX (talk) 06:31, 26 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Mildred Fover???[edit]

The article stated that the first Director of the WAVES was Mildred H. Fover. I have no idea where that came from, but I have corrected the mistake by changing the name to Mildred McAfee, who was in fact first Director of the WAVES, as is mentioned further along in the article. RogerInPDX (talk) 05:27, 4 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I only wish I could substantiate my dim memory that Grace Hopper, late in her career, was in the habit of calling herself "The last WAVE".
I heard that from computer old-timers also, but have no documentation for it. Seems a typical remark for her, as she was the last WAVE still serving (50 years later).
Also, I believe she reached the highest rank (Rear Admiral) of any woman who served in the original 5 years of the WAVES. Is that correct? Might it be worth noting in this article that a WAVE reached this high rank? T bonham (talk) 03:47, 11 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

White uniform[edit]

Have I correctly identified this uniform? Jim.henderson (talk) 11:42, 18 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Apparently yes, being a good match for File:Waves recruiting poster.jpg which is a better illustration anyway. Jim.henderson (talk) 21:51, 19 November 2013 (UTC)[reply]


PURSE[edit]

It appears to be the correct dress white uniform for an enlisted WAVE during World War II. The one thing wrong is the color of the purse, which I believe should have been white, though I believe this rule was later relaxed and I've also heard of a white cover that could be put on the standard black purse.

My source is the letters my late mother wrote home during her service with the WAVES in World War II in which she discussed buying a dress white uniform from another WAVE, but she was apparently not able to acquire the white purse before the war ended.

RogerInPDX (talk) 08:33, 8 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

US Naval Air Station, Seattle Wash. Sand Point Dispensary Dental Clinic
Thank you. I have made a note in the description in Commons:File:WAVE uniform WWII N-Y HS jeh.jpg and would appreciate any corrections. Jim.henderson (talk) 15:33, 9 December 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Article improvement[edit]

The article lists an abundance of reference sources (under numerous headings), yet very little of the WAVES story has found its way into the article itself. Should anyone be watching this page, I plan to begin expanding the article with the expectation of upgrading its Start-class rating.

First, though, lets turn to the lead, which incorrectly states, ‘‘their official name was the U.S. Naval Reserve (Women's Reserve), but the nickname as the WAVES stuck.’’ Actually, the official name was Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service. Elisabeth Raynard, attached to the U.S. Navy from Barnard College, constructed the name. In explaining how she came up with the nautical name, Reynard said: “I realized that there were two letters which had to be in it: W for women and V for volunteer, because the Navy wants to make it clear that this is a voluntary service and not a drafted service. So I played with those two letters and the idea of the sea and finally came up with Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service – WAVES”. (See Bacronym) Source: Lady in the Navy, Joy Hancock Pendright (talk) 23:27, 29 September 2015 (UTC)[reply]

External links modified[edit]

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Women in the U.S. Navy - World War I[edit]

FYI: Yeoman (F), a Wikipedia article, contains information on the above subject. Pendright (talk) 00:38, 13 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Pre-ACR read through[edit]

Hello again Pendright. I have, as promised, had another read through the article and noted a few queries. Please though, keep in mind that I am not very familiar with military jargon nor really with US English variations so some of my comments can no doubt be dismissed. Let me know if you need any clarification of my notes...

<> Done
  • the WAAC legislation for the Navy - WAAC- like or equivalent or comparable
<> Done
  • Jacob's assistant - Jacobs'
<> This appears to be correct as it stands. As I underswtand it, this is a singular possive noun and not a plural one.
Hmm, but the S is part of his name (ie not Randall Jacob) so possessive is Jacobs' or even Jacobs's. See for example John Adams, "Adams' birthplace", "Adams' mother", "Adams' reflections" etc.
<> I get it, finally!
  • Their recommendation was Mildred H. McAfee - link again?
<> It's already linked in the lead, why again?
MoS says "Generally, a link should appear only once in an article, but if helpful for readers, a link may be repeated in infoboxes, tables, image captions, footnotes, hatnotes, and at the first occurrence after the lead." So seeing you'd repeated her full name I'd wondered if you'd meant to link again. But is fine as you have it.
Okay - duly noted!
  • But, the task of convincing McAfee to accept and to persuade the Wellesley Board of Trustees to release her was difficult but successful.- maybe swap one of the 'but's for yet
<> Done
  • the bill had passed both houses of Congress and sent to the president - been sent?
<> Done
  • In More Than a Uniform, Winifred Quick Collins - adjust italics to exclude 'In'
<> Done
  • played an important decision making role - decision-making?
<> Done
  • Lieutenant Commander McAfee was simply told that she was to "run" the women's reserve and she was to go directly to the Chief of Naval Personnel for answers to her questions. Unfortunately, the decision was not made known to the operating divisions of the bureau." - attribute? ie whose quote is this?
<> Done
  • The WAVES were primarily white, middle class, and represented every state in the country. - insert 'they' before represented and insert 'and' between white middle class
<> Done
  • Included were black oxfords - add cap and possibly add piped wlink to Oxford shoe
<> Done
Mea culpa Ha! I meant cap O on oxfords - but good you added cap as part of uniform!
Done, got it this time! George Bernard Shaw is quoted as saying: The greatest trouble with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.
  • The summer uniform was much the same as the winter uniform - same design as?
<> Done
  • There would be two-months of intense training - two months'
<> Done
  • intense training - intensive training?
<> Done
  • Following their two-months of training - two months'
<> Done
  • the lack of esprit de corps - should esprit de corps be in italics?
<> It's worthy of emphasis - Done
Sorry, not for emphasis but as a foreign word/term... When I'd looked at Esprit de corps, it was italicised but I have now checked MoS and esprit de corps is actually apparently considered common enough in English not to have italics.
<> Its most common use, though, seems to be related to the miltary.
  • recruit-training center - hyphen correct?
<> Done
  • (The school's original assignment was the training of yeomen). - period should be inside?
<> Done
  • The recruit training routine began each weekday with Reveille at 5:30 or 6:00 A.M.; etc... (were they not using 24-hour time?) If using 12-hour, MoS says am and pm (or a.m. and p.m.) ie should be lower-case Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Times of day
<> Done
  • Reveille appears with and without cap R
<> Done
  • Followed by an hour of free time - sentence needs to start with "This was" followed by...or similar?
<> Done
  • Captain's Inspection on Saturday morning... - probably insert 'was' after Inspection
<> Done
  • Then, church services and free time until 7:30 P.M., when study hours began. - maybe round out sentence a bit? eg Trainees then attended church services...
<> Done
  • The first class was to graduate in early January 1943, but on 30 December 1942 the Navy announced that future WAVE recruits would be trained at Hunter College... - reads like this class moved to NY for their last 2 weeks of training?
<> Added recruits in training
  • Joy Bright Hancock / Joy Hancock should be just Hancock after first mention?
<> Done
  • Between 17 February 1943 and 10 October 1945, sum 80,936 WAVES - some? I truly don't know:)
<> A sum is usually thought to be a total, grand total, tally, etc
  • The mission of the WAVES was to replace the men in shore stations for sea duty. Still, some of the men were hostile to the WAVES, because being replaced meant sea duty. - needs tweaking, maybe just remove 'Still,'
<> Done
  • Wanting to serve their country in the time of need was a strong incentive for a young woman during World War II. And thousands - comma or semicolon instead of new sentence? And seeing you have 'for a young woman', maybe 'serve their country' should be 'serve her country'?
<> Done
  • With some, it was for the adventure, for others it was for the professional development, and still others joined for the chance to experience life on college campuses. - too many 'fors'? maybe, 'Some saw the lure of adventure, for others the professional development...'
<> Done
  • The Navy established five separation centers - start with 'At the end of the war,'?
<> Done
  • Anchors Away - Anchors Aweigh?
<> Done
  • captions mention Hospital Apprentices and cryptography but there is no mention of these occupations in the body
<> It was not practical to list all the professions or occupations; it’s why we used terms as including and such as in the body. Hospital Apprentices would, however, fall under what we describe as Health Care.
  • See also - some are not linked?
<> Because these three items are inked in the article itself, linking them here would apparently be considered double linking.
  • Citations - 1. Ebert and Hall P. 27 - lowercase p
<> Done
  • not sure if it's worth adding somewhere re name 'sometimes referred to in the singular as WAVE' but I wouldn't be surprised if well-meaning editor/s add an S.
<> As I mentioned, the relevant reference sources are not always consistent in their usage. It may follow that editors will have their own preferences. The review should ferret this out.

That's it. I look forward to watching ACR. Best wishes, JennyOz (talk) 05:56, 16 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

@JennyOz: Terrific job! I appreciate your work, as does Wikipedia. Pendright (talk) 18:57, 16 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@JennyOz: I’ve addressed each of your queries; implementing most of them – those few unimplemented ones carry some form of explanation as to why. Your comments are welcome, and I thank you again for lending us your time and talent. Pendright (talk) 07:10, 19 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Pendright I've added 4 comments above, mainly to clarify my clumsy initial comments. All is looking wonderful and a big thankyou again for this fine article. Best wishes, JennyOz (talk) 12:43, 19 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@JennyOz: Thanks for following-up and for the kind words. Pendright (talk) 00:07, 21 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Hi Pendright, Thanks for everything. I've enjoyed working with you. Let me know when the real review starts. Best wishes from downunder, JennyOz (talk) 01:39, 21 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@JennyOz: My pleasure! Pendright (talk) 04:34, 21 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Service "outside the country"[edit]

WAVES § Assignments needs clarification. Alaska and Hawaii were not outside the United States. I assume that prior to the policy change, women could only serve in the 48 states and D.C.? From brief online research I think this is Public Law 441 which also allowed women to serve in the "American Area" including Panama and the Caribbean, not just Alaska and Hawaii. Note that Panama Canal Zone was also part of the United States. One other historical quirk: some Carribean territories of occupied European countries were administered by the United States during the war (Aruba). I wouldn't be at all surprised if WAVES served there. ☆ Bri (talk) 02:01, 11 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

This is a confusion that remains, with ALaska and Hawaii being classed as "OCONUS" (usually described as Out of CONtinetal US) travel and assignments). It seems likely that both the Alaska and Hawaii territories were considered "overseas" deployments in WWII, as they are today. DavisGL (talk) 02:06, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Post-WWII WAVES?[edit]

I served with a Master Chief who came into service through WAVES, she retired in 2011 and most certainly entered service after 1945. Was this an entirely separate program? Maybe Korean or Vietnam era revival of the program? Should this continuation program be addressed separately or within this article? DavisGL (talk) 02:02, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

I joined the Navy April 4, 1974, and I was called a WAVE and received the WAVE uniform. The women that came into boot camp 2 weeks after I did were called Sailors. I don't know the date that I had to buy are new uniform, but it was short there after. And I was always in the Navy. I did 5 years active duty Navy and 16 years in the Army Reserve. I would like to know how many WAVES are still left. I am 74 years young. 50.25.157.53 (talk) 23:03, 3 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

WAVES[edit]

@SWP13: Your recent edits to the Notable people section of the WAVES article did not coform to WP:SOURCELIST. Linking to other Wikipedia articles is not a form of reference soucing. Please reference each listing with a reliable source or remove it. Pendright (talk) 18:04, 17 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Response>>I added Jeanne Rowe Skinner with proper ref/citation.SWP13 (talk) 19:29, 17 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you! What about the other four? Pendright (talk) 22:14, 17 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]