Prior to the First Wold War, nursing was the only service option permitted for women in the United States Navy. Naval History and Heritage Command | National Women’s History Museum Women in the Navy before World War II Nurses in Cuban waters during the Spanish-American War Essential to the war effort, the WAVES of World War II helped to lay the foundation for future women's future service in the Navy They served in a wide variety of roles, ranging from clerks to top-secret code breakers. By July 1945, over 86,291 women were members of the Navy WAVES, including 8,475 officers, 3,816 enlisted, and 4,000 recruits. I was freezing to death, marching through the damned snow ankle-deep.” Jeann was one of the nearly 100,000 women who left the comfort of their civilian life to serve in the Women's Navy Reserve (WAVES) during World War II. Arriving in the fall of 1944, the California girl was no match for the frigid East Coast weather: “Here we come, stepping out of the train in three inches of snow in our little civilian shoes and our little California clothes. Unable to bathe and hardly able to use the restroom, Jeann sat on the train for six days, making the arduous journey from Sacramento to the Bronx.

Placed on a troop train, Jeann Coz Bailey traveled across the country to attend recruit training at Hunter College in New York. National Women’s History Museum A Long Journey National Archives, Record Group 80 | National Women’s History Museumīy Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries

World war ii navy enlistment records