SPARS: The Creation of the U. S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserve

An excerpt from Captain Dorothy Stratton's oral history.

By Taira Payne

August 2021

Naval History Magazine

Article

View Issue

Captain Dorothy Stratton was selected as a senior Navy lieutenant at the beginning of World War II to head the U.S. Coast Guard's budding women's program, which she named the Semper Paratus—Always Ready, or simply "SPARS".

Lieutenant Dorothy Stratton Coast Guard Commandant Vice Admiral Russell Waesche. “Loaned” to the Coast Guard, she became the first director of that service’s women’s volunteer SPAR reserve. — (U.S. Coast Guard)

In this excerpt, Captain Stratton discusses her introduction to the U.S. Coast Guard and the initial creation of the SPARS, including the assistance of 12 Navy WAVES officers.

Don't miss out.
Subscribe to Naval History today.

Subscribe Today

Taira Payne

Taira Payne was the Project Manager, Digital Assets & Web for the U.S. Naval Institute until January 2022. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science, specializing in Archives and Digital Curation, from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s in History from Washington College.

More Stories From This Author View Biography