United States Coast Guard

Lula Belle Everidge was one of several Native American women who enlisted in SPARS, the women's branch of the Coast Guard during World War II. During the War she served up and down the East Coast to free men up for service overseas.

Lula Mae O'Bannon was one of six Native American women who enlisted in the US Coast Guard SPARS during World War II. Her service took her across the United States, providing support to the war effort.

Dorothy Stratton was the Director of the SPARS, the women’s reserve branch of the US Coast Guard during World War II. Her leadership during the war worked to integrate women into home front military posts and gain respect from their male colleagues. Her effort reflected a lifetime of work for women's inclusion and leadership.

Dr. Olivia J. Hooker, a survivor of the Tulsa race massacre, blazed a trail as the first Black woman on active duty in the US Coast Guard.

During World War II, each branch of the military created a women's reserve and recruited across the country. The US Coast Guard created the SPARS, the women's auxiliary. Recruits from Oklahoma were known as the "Sooner Squadron," and included six Native American women. Their service is a testament to the larger service of Native Americans in World War II.

More than 350,000 American women joined the United States Armed Forces during World War II. Explore some of the stories of World War II women in the military.

Congress created the United States Coast Guard Women’s Reserve during World War II. It was more commonly known as the SPARS, an acronym for the Coast Guard motto “Semper Paratus—Always Ready.”

Florence Eberling Smith Finch was a woman who stood up for her convictions in the face of overwhelming odds. She aided United States military intelligence and the Philippine resistance during World War II. She provided supplies to prisoners of war (POWs) in Manila, and she survived arrest and interrogation. Upon her release in October 1944, she joined the US Coast Guard. Her efforts broke barriers for Asian American women in the armed forces.

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 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.” This lesson focuses on women's experiences in the Coast Guard during World War II, in training and during their service.   

During World War II, opportunities for women expanded, including in the military. The Coast Guard created a women’s reserve known as the SPARS in 1942. Thousands of women from across the United States enlisted. They went through basic training and then were stationed on the home front. Spars faced challenges and discrimination, but also contributed to the war effort in many ways.   This lesson offers resources for exploring these women's lives.