MOVING HISTORY FORWARD: WAVES in North Idaho

The Museum of North Idaho is looking for stories of women from North Idaho who served in the WAVES during World War II.

The attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, quickly propelled the construction of new naval training bases across the U.S., and in order to release as many men as possible for sea duty, a women’s branch of the Naval Reserves was created in July 1942 (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), the WAVES.

These women filled positions in nursing, pharmacy, motion picture technology, transportation, supplies, personnel, mail processing, storekeeping, parachute rigging, metalwork, radio operations and even training of pilots in bombing and navigation.

To join the WAVES, women had to register and take an examination. They were then sent for naval training, with most at Hunter College, N.Y. After that, they were assigned to various naval stations for the length of the war, plus six months. However, they were not allowed to serve overseas. Corpus Christi, Texas, and Oakland, Calif., were frequent destinations.

In July 1944, around two dozen North Idaho women were serving in the WAVES. Some left good jobs, such as Mildred McDonald, who was working at Washington Water Power; Jean Ham at Bunker Hill mine; and Marion Newbury at Cope Plumbing in Coeur d’Alene. Others left college, such as Vivian Bernard at Eastern Washington College. But all left family and friends.

Locally, Farragut Naval Training Station, FNTS, (now Farragut State Park), had a fair number of WAVES in the daily operations. Most were assigned to the massive 2,300-bed hospital, which cared for sick and injured recruits as well as servicemen returning from the war. The WAVES started at Farragut in 1943 with 29 women and by the end of the war, a total of 600 WAVES proudly served at FNTS. During this time, 300,000 naval recruits were trained at Farragut.

While the WAVES were at Farragut, Henry Day of mining fame donated time at his lake home for weekend relaxation. Additionally, the WAVES at Farragut had horseback riding with 10 horses supplied privately by Lt. Commander Thomas King.

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The Museum of North Idaho’s annual benefit gala “1940s USO Club” will be Saturday, May 20, at the historic Hicks featuring big band music, swing dancing, comedy act, dance performance, silent auction, live auction, dinner, drinks and more. Pre-sale tickets are available at $95 on March 1 for members only. After March 14, tickets prices will be $125.