Frances Thornton sat on the bus with her cheek pressed against the window. She thought about Dennis Frampton. She always thought about Dennis Frampton. Franny loves Denny, she wrote in her diary. Instead of describing her daily events and personal thoughts, she wrote the same words on every line.

At the moment, Denny was far away on a destroyer in the South Pacific. He joined the Navy the day after he graduated from high school. Franny didn't want him to go but knew she couldn't prevent him. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, most of Middlechester's eligible young men signed up to serve in either the Army or the Navy.

Frances lived in the same New York town all her life. Her mother took her to Manhattan twice yearly to shop for school clothes or Christmas gifts. Otherwise, she rarely left home. Home—Franny thought, watching the passing scenery from the bus window. She found life satisfactory until Dennis left. Afterward, the straight main street turned dull. The cinema and 5&10's lunch counter seemed old and stale. Her girlfriends' chatter about Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper no longer interested her. She wanted to do something with her life and join the war effort.

"Wish I Could Join Too...Serve Your Country in the WAVES."

Franny stood before the window of the Navy recruiting office. The poster in the window showed a young woman gazing hopefully at the words. She gnawed her lower lip, trying to decide. Over the summer, she volunteered at the hospital. Although her duties mainly included delivering meals and running errands, she enjoyed helping patients. Franny longed to become a nurse. The WAVES would allow her to both serve and gain experience. She opened the door and stepped inside boldly.

"I joined the WAVES," Franny stated, returning home an hour later. Her father rustled his newspaper and looked at her over the top. She could only see his bald head and questioning eyes.

"You did what?" Her mother rushed in from the kitchen. She wore a floral apron and held a potato masher in her right hand. "What did you say?"

"She said she joined the WAVES, Mama," Kathleen announced. Franny's little sister sat on the floor, cutting out paper dolls.

"I heard her, Kathy," Mama snapped, poking the masher in her younger daughter's direction. Turning toward Franny, she asked, "What in the world does WAVES mean?"

"Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service," Frances answered, showing her parents the poster she had brought home with her. The bus leaves on Thursday, Mama. I'm going to The Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland."

Her mother's face turned pale, and her father folded his newspaper. Kathleen put down her scissors, the paper dolls forgotten.

"I have to DO something, Mama, Daddy," Franny remarked emphatically. "I want to take part in the war effort. I can't sit around here doing nothing."

Her parents accepted her decision stoically. With the war raging in Europe and the Pacific, they knew everyone had to do something to help. Although they didn't want Frances to leave them, they couldn't hold her back either.

"Do everything possible to stay in the States," her father advised before she departed. "Don't volunteer for overseas duty."

Although Frances agreed, she already knew she wanted to serve in the Pacific. She would take any opportunity to move closer to Dennis. Perhaps they would meet somewhere and remain close to each other. It was what she wanted more than anything else.

The women on the bus chattered noisily with each other. Francis Thornton kept her thoughts to herself. She didn't know anyone and tended toward shyness around strangers. Perhaps during their training, they would all get to know each other. At the moment, Franny wanted to keep herself to herself. She would make friends when the time came.

"Are you on your own?" A smiling blonde woman poked her head between the seats before her. Francis nodded, glancing at the friendly face before returning to the scenery. "I'm Dorothy Mullins. Dolly to my friends." She extended her hand. Following a moment's hesitation, Franny shook it.

"I'm Frances Thornton," Franny smiled. Her new friend's bouncy attitude was infectious. She suddenly found herself smiling and longing for companionship.

"This is Mary Blake," Dolly introduced her seatmate. "We signed up together. In fact, we all did." The women in the surrounding seats nodded their heads.

Standing, Dorothy sidled past her friend and plunked down next to Franny. She wore a smart navy skirt and blazer with a red striped blouse. A clothe hat covered her bobbed hair. A sophisticated air surrounded her and her companions. Francis felt naïve and a bit backward for the first time.

"We all signed up together," Dolly continued breezily. "Maggie's the redhead; Shirl's the blonde; Abbie's an actress—off-Broadway, but that's better than nothing. And you met Mary Blake. Our men are all off serving their country. To save expenses, we shared a brownstone in the city. You can join in with us if you're on your own."

Frances glanced at her new friends and immediately accepted the offer. Her father always told her there was safety in numbers. Although she remained shy, she didn't want to face the WAVES training alone.

"What are you in for?" Dolly asked, smiling warmly.

"Oh...uh..." The question daunted Franny.

"Welding, secretarial, nursing?"

"Nursing." Frances brightened with understanding.

"Us too." The five women all nodded in agreement.

The olive-colored bus approached the Naval Base's gates. The windows opened, and the gals leaned out to get a better look at their surroundings. Two tall young sailors sauntered past but stopped when they heard women's voices. Everyone leaned out the windows and waved their hats gleefully. The sailors cat-called lowly. Giggly, the new recruits disappeared into the bus and pulled their windows closed.

Forming a long line, the new WAVES wound their way through orientation. They turned in their paperwork, underwent physical examinations, showered, and finally appeared in their new uniforms. Dressed in white skirts, double-breasted jackets with matching ties, and sailor's hats, they stood shoulder to shoulder for inspection.

Franny stood between Dorothy Mullins and Mary Blake. Her back was straight, her shoulders squared, and the heels of her black shoes were side by side. Like the other gals, she did not smile or shift her eyes. Finally, they were dismissed and taken to the mess hall after achieving approval.

"I hope we all like Salisbury Steak." Dolly grimaced, studying her tray. "It's not the Waldorf-Astoria, that's for sure."

"It's not even the automat," Shirl added, pushing her peas into her mashed potatoes.

During their trips to New York City, Frances and her mother always ate at the Automat. It was fun to exchange dollars for dimes to put into the slots. For only a few coins, you could get a full meal: salad, spaghetti, dessert, and coffee. After the satisfying lunch, they shopped for the rest of the afternoon and then returned home on the bus. Frances smiled to herself and addressed her first Navy meal.

"Where's your man?" Dolly asked. She sat opposite Franny.

"Denny's on a destroyer in the Pacific," she answered, cutting up her meat. I want to get out there and maybe meet up with him."

"My Harry's in Italy." Dolly frowned momentarily, then brightened. "If we all go where our men are, we'll have to split up."

"Jerry's in Europe somewhere, but I'm all for the Pacific islands," Shirl chimed in. "I want to enjoy the soft sands and cool evening breezes. Maybe we'll go together, Franny."

"I'll remind you, you're not going for fun," Mary interrupted. Out of the five women, she was the most serious. "I'm doing nurses' training too. My husband's in England with the Army Air Corps. He flies bombing runs."

"Mary's the only one who's married," Dorothy explained. "The rest of us having boyfriends in the service, except Abbie. Her man's an actor; he managed to dodge the draft."

"Ex-boyfriend," Abbie stated, taking a file from her handbag. She began to shape her nails. "After that stunt, who wants him?"

"Trevor's a make-up artist, He dressed himself up as a one-eyed hunchback and got disqualified from service." Dolly rolled her eyes into her head.

"So I broke up with him and joined the WAVES," Abbie continued. She shook her platinum blonde hair and then patted it back in place.

"My man's in Hawaii," Maggie cut in dreamily. "He has a desk job."

The women finished their dinners and deposited their trays onto the growing stack by the door. A group gathered in the corridor and were taken to their dormitory. Twelve metal beds stood against both walls in long columns. The group chose several adjacent to each other.

Following their one month of grueling training, each woman was interviewed and given their assignments. Most went into nurse training, except Maggie. She entered the secretarial pool with the hope of getting posted to Hawaii.

"They want me to join the USO," Abbie stated following her interview. "My talent won out." She shrugged, tossing her hair.

"Wow, Abbie," Dorothy exclaimed. "You'll travel with Bob Hope and a lot of the other Hollywood stars. If they like you, you'll get a break. After the war, you'll end up in California and in the movies."

"I know. That's why I said yes." The Off-Broadway actress heaved her suitcase onto her cot and began packing. "I hate to leave you, gals, but duty calls." Waving cheerfully, she lifted her bag and sauntered through the door.

"Lucky girl," Shirl mused. "Well, we'll see her in pictures someday."

The United Service Organization put together shows to entertain the troops overseas. The most notable star was Bob Hope, but many others, such as Humphrey Bogart, The Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, and The Marx Brothers, volunteered their time to the organization. Franny hoped to see one of their shows during her tour of duty.

Francis waited in trepidation for her orders to come in. Although she continued to hope for the Pacific, she would take what came her way. She made many lifetime friends at the Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland.

Dorothy Mullins and Mary Blake went to the Philippines on a Nursing assignment. They both returned to the States. Dolly married Harry, but Mary's husband was shot down over Germany. After raising a fuss, Maggie insisted on going to Hawaii, where she joined Jerry, and later, the couple married. Shirl and Frances remained together and served on Guam. Franny found Denny in her hospital and tended to him until he was well enough to return to the States. He lost a leg after his destroyer was bombed by the Japanese. She loved him all the more because of his disability. The happy couple returned to their hometown of MIddlechester, New York, and raised a family of two boys and a girl.

Following her USO tour, Abbie took on the stage name Amber Waves as a tribute to her short time in the WAVES and starred in several movies opposite John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart. She never forgot her friends and kept in contact with them throughout her entire life.

Frances Thornton always remembered her time at the Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Maryland. In the evenings, she told her children tales of her adventures in the WAVES and later wrote a book about them.

!!COMING SOON!!

SOUTH CAROLINA