Hampton Roads Wartime Women

03/18/2026

Come see us next weekend!

Every uniform tells a story.

Military Through the Ages takes over Jamestown Settlement on March 21 and 22 with centuries of living history packed into one unforgettable weekend.

Discover the link between hoplites and helicopter pilots, privateers and paratroopers. Witness knights in armor patrol the same grounds as modern National Guard units.

Leave with stories about the warriors who wore these uniforms across millennia.

jyfmuseums.org/military-through-the-ages

03/13/2026

Hey Hampton Roads! Looking for something to do March 21 & 22? Why not come to Military Through the Ages at Jamestown Settlement and see the WACs!!! Walk through a military timeline with more than 500 reenactors portraying military history. From Roman Gladiators to Revolutionary War to WWII you’re bound to find fascinating stories. We hope to see you there!

02/25/2026

1st LT Vivian “Millie” Corbett Bailey was one of the first African American WAC officers. She was one of only two African American women to receive the rank of 1st Lt at her graduation from WAC Officer Training School. She served in leadership rolls for her entire career in the WAC. After the war, she worked in many positions to support veterans. She worked at the Veterans Administration and dedicated almost 50 years of her life to volunteer service. She is especially know for sending hundreds of care packages to service members. She began sending “Bailey’s bundles” during the Vietnam War, and continued until her final years, not only fundraising to support the CARE packages but shopping and packing every delivery herself. What a legacy to look up to!!!

02/18/2026

Lt. j.g. Harriet Ida Pickens and Ensign Frances Wills were the first African-American to join the WAVES, and the first to become officers. While the WAVES director, Capt. MIldred McAfee supported inclusion in the WAVES, Secretary of the Navy William “Frank” Knox was publically against it. Infact, McAfee stated she overheard Knox saying that African Americans “would be in the WAVES over my dead body.” Ironically, it was indeed after Knox’s death in April of 1944, that James Forrestal was appointed Navy Secretary and he moved to integrate both the WAVES and the Navy Nurse Corps. The WAVES officially allowed African Americans to enlist on Oct 19, 1944, although the Navy Nurse Corps did not integrate until March 5, 1945.
Harriet Ida Pickens and Frances Wills were the first African American women to enlist in the WAVES and the first African American officers in the WAVES. Both women came from highly educated backgrounds, making them ideal not only as WAVES but also as officers’ candidates. Both had Masters degrees and had worked for several years in their fields before enlisting in the WAVES.
By the end of the war, Pickens and Wills were joined by over 70 other African American women in the WAVES, many they trained themselves at Hunter College. Together, they forged the path for African American women to make their way as mariners in the US Navy.

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Hampton Roads Wartime Women!

02/09/2026

Major Della Raney was the first African American accepted into the Army Nurse Corps, the first African American commissioned as a Second Lt in the ANC, and the first African American nurse with the Army Air Force promoted to Captain. When Raney first applied to the ANC, her application was rejected because of her race. Jackson continued to apply, and wrote a letter to the director of nursing for the American Red Cross, explaining her desire to serve her country as a Nurse. This letter led to her acceptance into the ANC and paved the way for many others. Check out our link in bio to learn more about her.

02/04/2026

The only way to start Black History Month is to highlight LTC Charity Adams Early. She graduated with the first WAAC officers class and was first African American woman to become a WAAC officer. She served as CO for the 6888, the only African American WAC unit to be stationed overseas. The 6888 was a postal unit tasked to clear an enormous backlog of mail. Under LTC Adams’ command the 6888 worked around the clock to clear an estimated 17 million pieces of mail in only 3 months, half the time the army estimated was required for the task. This mail helped boost morale for overseas troop. Check out the Netflix movie about the 6888 to learn more about their story!

01/26/2026

Happy snow day! Stay safe out there!

01/22/2026

Lately we’ve been doing research on the WACs who served here in Hampton Roads, and we stumbled upon our most unusual WAC yet- a raccoon! WAC Sgt Floopy was adopted by Pvt William H. Bailey during his service in Hampton Roads. Bailey found the baby raccoon and raised her, and he said WAC Sgt Floopy became his good luck charm! You can see in the photo that Floopy wears a sweater with sergeant stripes. We don’t know what happened to Floopy after the war, but considering the bond these two had, we can only believe WAC Sgt Floopy spent the rest of her days with Pvt Bailey. Images courtesy of

01/06/2026

Something fun from last year- we recreated a original photo (last slide) WASP checking their Operations Tow Target schedule. We love an opportunity to recreate an original photo! Thanks to for letting us take photos!

01/04/2026

As we embrace 2026, here’s a look back at 2025 for the Hampton Roads Wartime Women! We had quite a year attending 12 events, 10 meeting and several workshops. Thank you for following along with us and all your support over the years. We look forward to more joy and adventures in 2026!