how to clean world war 2 white navy uniform

In the WAC, some women embraced a greater sexual freedom, though none welcomed the rumors of sexual “immorality.” But despite the unfair “slander campaigns” waged against them and the hurdles they had to overcome to serve, the great majority of WACs and army nurses saw their work as valuable, a significant contribution to winning the war. To protect the reputation of the Women’s Army Corps and its members, WAC leaders emphasized respectability, did extensive screening of applicants (who met higher qualification standards than did male inductees), and attempted to impose strict regulations on WAC behavior and to control their options for recreation.

The secretary of war condemned these “vicious rumors,” but General Eisenhower’s announcement that the segregated “Negro” WAC unit en route to Britain would “provide companionship for the thousands of Negro troops ” suggests how significant such misapprehensions were. Sadly, investigations found that many of the ugly rumors about WACs originated in military officers’ and enlisted men’s bars. It’s difficult, today, to understand how important women’s sexual “reputation” was at that point even rumors of sex outside marriage or with same-sex partners could threaten a woman’s “respectability” and jeopardize her ability to marry or hold a good job.

How to clean world war 2 white navy uniform