African American WAVES:
On This Day In 1944 African American Women Were Sworn In, For The First Time, To The Women Accepted For Volunteer Emergency Services (WAVES), A Women's Naval Reserve.
The WAVES Were The First Women's Branch Of The U.S. Armed Forces To Achieve Full Intergration Of Companies And Duties. However, By 1945, There Were Not Yet 50 Black WAVES.
The Majority Of The Black Females Who Served During World War II Enlisted In The Women's Army Corps (WACs).
Of The Estimated 350,000 Women In The Armed Forces During World War II, About 4,000 Were Black. By The War's End, Over 1 Million Blacks, Male And Female, Had Entered The U.S. Military. This Represented About 6 Percent Of The Total Number Of Americans Enlisted.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
