Female yeomen—called yeomanettes—stand in full dress uniform for an inspection by Chief of the Bureau of Navigation Rear Admiral Victor Blue, left, in Washington, D.C., during World War I. At the instigation of Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, the bureau—charged with recruiting—in March 1917 authorized the enlistment of women into the Naval Reserve. Within a month, 200 women had signed on and their ranks eventually reached a peak strength of 11,275. Daniels also made the surprising decree: "A woman who works as well as a man ought to receive the same pay." And they did.
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