Navy Nurse With Hospital Ship
John Falter
Oil on canvas
45-127-T

Two Women and the U.S. Capitol
John Falter
Oil on canvas
45-127-B

Every Girl that Joins the WAVES
McClelland Barclay
Drawing, 1943
85-236-B

Women enlisting in the Navy during World War II served two purposes. First, they filled positions newly created by the expanding American war effort, and secondly, they replaced men in stateside assignments in order to free them for combat overseas. For this reason, some men who did not want to go into combat and some women who did not want their husbands, brothers and sons to go into combat, resented the WAVES.

Women who enlisted in the Navy also suffered from the stereotype that they were overly masculine, or at the other extreme, government-sanctioned prostitutes. This produced a public relations challenge for the Navy. Through the recruiting images, the Navy hoped to depict female service as noble, serious, patriotic and feminine.

Another Fighter Released for Sea Duty
McClelland Barclay
Drawing, 1943
85-236-C

Of the "Release a Man to Fight Campaign," female enlistee Josette Dermody Wingo remembers, "The sailors chant, 'Release a man for active duty. Har har. It takes five of you broads to do what two guys can do.' We have to walk right by them, looking as confident and unwinded as we can. Let me tell you, it's not easy to look dignified and ladylike under these circumstances." Her testimony echoes the ambiguous emotions that surrounded the campaign.

The official acknowledgment by the government of a woman's ability to replace a man boosted the women's morale; however, it was difficult to be confronted by some sailors' disdain of the campaign.

Bring Him Home Sooner
John Falter
Poster
81-156-AV

To Make Men Free
John Falter
Poster, 1944
70-623-G

What pay does a Navy WAVE Get?
John Falter
Poster, 1944
70-623-N

In 1944, the Navy printed 101,000 car cards, 45,000 window cards, and 40,000 posters that used this design. Although the Navy initially gave women lower rank and pay than men, it discontinued this practice in October 1943, awarding women equal pay and rank. This created a huge incentive for women to enlist, especially when, on average, a woman with the same credentials as a man was paid less for performing the same job.

Be a Cadet Nurse
Jon Whitcomb
Poster, 1944
65-014-Z

You'll Be Happy Too
Poster, 1944
70-623-H

This Is the Team That's Sweeping
Poster, 1945
70-623-S