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(H)our History Lesson: An Unforgettable Experience: Diverse Stories of Women in the World War II Coast Guard

Black and white photo of two African American women standing on steps in dark coast guard uniforms
SPARS Olivia Hooker, of Columbus, Ohio, and Aileen Anita Cooke, of Los Angeles, California, in training at the dry-land ship "USS Neversail," Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, NY, 1945. They were two of the first five Black Spars.

Office of War Information, US Government, public domain. Courtesy New York Public Library Schomburg Center, NYPG96-F156

Introduction:  

During World War II, opportunities for women expanded, including in the military. The Coast Guard, like other branches, created a women’s reserve known as the SPARS (Semper Paratus-Always Ready) in 1942. Thousands of women from across the United States enlisted. They went through basic training and then were stationed on the home front to “free a man up to fight.” Spars faced challenges and discrimination, but also contributed to the war effort in many ways. 

Learning about their diverse stories is one way to think about the contribution and changing roles of women during World War II.  

Note about language: The Women’s Auxiliary was known as SPARS. An individual servicewoman was a Spar.  

Grade Level Adapted For: 

This lesson is intended for high school learners but can be adapted for learners of all ages. 

Objectives:

  1. Identify challenges and opportunities faced by women in SPARS during WWII

  1. Compare the experiences of different Spars across racial and ethnic lines.  

Inquiry Question:

How did serving in SPARS bring together women from diverse backgrounds? What unique experiences did women have serving based on their ethnic or racial identities?

Background Reading

The following article can be read by teachers for background knowledge or can be assigned to students.

Teacher Tip: This is the same reading as in the companion lesson. If students completed for the other lesson, you can skip it or ask the starred questions that will ask them to recall the information and frame the rest of this lesson.

Questions for Consideration 

  1. Why were the SPARS established? How did it allow women to participate in the war effort? 

  2. What were the requirements for a woman who wanted to join the SPARS?  

  3. **What challenges did Spars face based on gender? Do you think there were additional challenges for women of color? Provide a detail in the article that makes you think so.

Color poster of a white woman in uniform with binoculars and a man in the background with a gun. Text includes "Your Duty Ashore...His Afloat"
Created by John Joseph Floherty Jr., a commercial artist and cartoonist who served as an officer in the Coast Guard in World War II. The tagline plays on a common theme for women in the military, freeing up a man for a combat role by filling other military positions, like clerical work.

John Joseph Floherty Jr. 1944. Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. MO 2005.13.17.31

Student Activities

Activity 1: The Picture Perfect Spar

SPARS was formed after the Navy and Army already had their women’s auxiliaries. The Army had WAC and the Navy formed the WAVES. When it was authorized by Congress in 1942, SPARS had to quickly recruit women into the service. In competition with the other branches, the SPARS produced posters and sent recruiters to every state. Many young women had not expected to leave home, or to do military work. Gender roles at the time meant even many women pursuing a college degree planned for marriage and to care for children at home. SPARS had to present itself as a good choice to these potential recruits.

Look at the image gallery of SPARS recruitment posters. What kind of life would a woman expect from the posters? From these images, write down 3-5 words and phrases you think would describe a woman’s time as a SPAR. Consider:

  • Why should she join? What would motivate her while serving?
  • What types of activities could she expect to do? Are these the typical activities you think of for military service? How much do you know about them from the posters?
  • How will serving in SPARS impact how she feels about herself? About the war effort?

Tip: For help thinking about propaganda posters, check out the Talking with the Past video about using posters as primary sources. 

SPARS Recruiting Posters
Photo Gallery

SPARS Recruiting Posters

5 Images

This album accompanies the (H)our History Lesson: An Unforgettable Experience: Diverse Stories of Women in the World War II Coast Guard. All images are in the public domain. See image credits for more information.

Extension Question:

How much were you able to learn about SPARS from the poster? Why do you think that amount of information is available? Consider the documents: The medium, their purpose, etc.

Teacher Tip: If completing both SPARS lessons, point students to the oral histories they read from Spars in training and service in "Always Ready." This will allow them to compare the representations of SPARS in the posters with women’s experiences. If not, you could send students to those specific resources for some additional points of comparison, if time permits.

Grainy black and white photo of a woman in a skirt stuit standing at a filing cabinet
June Townsend Gentry is photographed for The Tulsa World during training in Palm Beach, Florida.

Tulsa World. Tulsa, Oklahoma · Sunday, August 29, 1943

Activity 2: Research a Spar

Women joined SPARS from all different backgrounds. Often, their motivation and experiences were similar to each other. But factors like race, ethnicity and religion impacted some women’s experiences. Different women’s choices to enlist in the Coast Guard during WWII shows the tension between shared patriotism and unique challenges in the United States.

From the list below, research an individual woman’s life. Students should choose one of the biographies of a SPAR who broke barriers. They can take notes directly on the discussion questions, or on a general outline to report back to the class.

Questions to Consider:

  1. What motivated the woman to enlist in SPARS? Do we know anything in her background that influenced her decision?

  1. What types of experiences did she have in SPARS? Were they mostly positive or negative? What influenced those experiences?

  1. How did being SPARS affect the woman’s life after World War II was over?

  1. To what extent did the woman’s experience match what you predicted from the poster? What unexpected challenges did they encounter?

Extension Activity:

If you completed the readings Activity 1 in “Always Ready,” compare and contrast the experience of the woman you researched and the first hand accounts you read of white women in the other lesson. Compare their experience in the following:

  • Why they joined the Coast Guard
  • What training and service was like during World War II
  • How (if known) serving in the SPARS changed their lives after the war

You can draw a Venn Diagram or three columns, labeled with each woman’s name on the right and the left and similarities in the middle.

Exit Ticket:

Teacher Tip: You can discuss this question as a class before leaving or ask students to write their own answers in a short paragraph, then submit it to you for assessment.

What did you notice about the US Coast Guard’s expectations for the women who would join SPARS? How is that similar/different than the women who did join? What do their experiences tell us about women’s service in World War II?

This lesson was written by Alison Russell, a consulting historian for the National Park Service in partnership with the National Council on Public History.

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Last updated: October 4, 2024