The Army had WACs (Women’s Army Corps), Navy had WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), Coast Guard had SPARS (from the Coast Guard motto Semper Paratus, ‘Always Ready’) and Marines had USMCWR (United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve).

Over 350,000 women served, with about 70% working clerical and administrative jobs. Others worked in highly skilled maintenance and technical jobs, like piloting aircraft and decoding top-secret messages. Despite being restricted from combat roles, 432 women died in the line of duty and 88 were prisoners of war. Their outstanding service developed a precedent for women in uniform that challenged traditional gender stereotypes.