Mother was a Gunner's Mate: World War II in the Waves

The story of an all-American girl who leaves her patriotic kin behind in Detroit while she joins the Navy as an enlisted Wave in World War II. She looks at the real world of women in a man's navy during a time of national emergency. With skill and warmth, Wingo recalls her basic training at Hunter College in the Bronx, gunnery school at the Great Lakes Naval Station, and her subsequent posting as a gunnery instructor at Treasure Island in California. Readers soon learn that the key to her success was the good-natured determination she used to counter entrenched attitudes about women teaching men about armaments. The Waves of World War II broke through stereotypes about women, getting the same pay and benefits as the men and demonstrating that women could shine in nontraditional jobs. Hailed for its wit, style, and verve, this jaunty memoir will continue to enthrall generations to come.--From publisher description.