Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Uniform, Military Dress |
Catalog Number |
2018.044.01 |
Description |
Florence Thompson's Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services, or W.A.V.E.S., uniform from World War II. A) Dark blue wool jacket for uniform with emblems on right breast pocket of a Honorable Service insignia (ruptured duck) showing her discharge from WWII, a blue propeller and a white anchor on the collar as the insignia for W.A.V.E.S., and on upper left sleeve as a signal of her active status as a Yeoman Second Class. There are two plastic coated, ribbon bar pins attatched to the left breast pocket. They are a World War II Victory Medal and an American Theater Campaign bar ribbon, with buttons going down the left side of the jacket. Inside of the jacket, on the right side, is a patch that says "U.S. Women's Naval Reserve. There is a label on the collar with her name on it. Inside of the jacket has two pockets and shoulder pads. B) Dark blue cotton blouse worn underneath the jacket for the uniform with vertical pintucks below the shoulder. There are blue buttons at her collar, on the sleeves, and down the front of the blouse (where there is one button missing). The active status emblem is also on the left sleeve of her blouse, the "U.S. Women's Naval Reserve" patch is on the inside of the blouse, and there is another label on the collar with her name on it. There are 6 darts along the midriff of the blouse. C) Size 12 dark blue wool skirt with button and zipper at the waist. The inside of the skirt has a patch identifying it as a W.A.V.E.S. uniform skirt, as well as a patch that says "U.S. Women's Naval Reserve". A label with her name on it lays over the Naval Reserve patch. The hem on the skirt appears to have moved over time and been alterted by hand. Two pockets on the reverse side of the skirt. |
Year Range from |
1943 |
Year Range to |
1945 |
Provenance |
This was worn by La Crosse resident Florence Thompson (later Moe-Olson) during World War II. |
Owned By |
Florence Thompson |
Event |
World War II |
Material |
Wool/Cotton |
Dimension Details |
26" waist |
People |
Moe-Olson, Florence |
Subjects |
Military Clothing & Accessories "Things that Matter" |
Search Terms |
World War II WWII "Things that Matter" |
Notes |
Featured in Things that Matter: During World War II, the U.S. Navy established a military unit for female members, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. The WAVES was initially developed to free up clerical positions so that more men would be available for combat positions. Before WAVES, women were only allowed to serve as nurses in the Navy. To be eligible to enlist, women needed to be between 20 and 36 years old and have no children under the age of 18. Throughout the war, roughly 100,000 women served in varying roles. Some women performed clerical duties and others served as instructors. Shortly after graduating from Logan High School in La Crosse, three young women enlisted in the WAVES in 1943: Lucille Will, Helen Jorgenson and Florence Thompson. The family of Florence Thompson donated her uniform along with a scrapbook and ephemera from her time serving in the WAVES to the La Crosse County Historical Society recently after she passed away in 2017. After finishing her training at Hunter College in New York City, Thompson wrote home that she enjoyed her work very much and was thrilled about the uniforms and training. In December 1943, Thompson was assigned to administrative work as a yeoman in the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, D.C. While serving, Thompson had quite the experience on the East Coast, according to her scrapbook, which is filled with programs from sporting events, concerts and plays. In addition to souvenirs from her activities, Thompson also saved postcards and cards from home. A few of the postcards feature G. Heileman Brewing Co. Five months after WWII was over, Thompson was honorably discharged. She returned home and enrolled at Luther College in Decorah, where she received her bachelor’s degree. After college, Thompson returned to La Crosse and worked for the county as a social worker for 25 years. Florence married Robert T. Moe in 1951 in La Crosse. After his death in 1999, she married Preston M. Olson, a former high school classmate of hers. This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune. Title: Florence Thompson's WWII WAVES Uniform Author: Amy Vach Publish Date: November 24, 2018 |