Bands of sisters : U.S. women's military bands during World War II / Jill M. Sullivan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sullivan, Jill M., 1963-

Series:

American wind band series ; no. 3.

American wind band series ; no. 3

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Armed Forces--Bands.

United States.

Armed Forces.

World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Female.

World War, 1939-1945.

United States--Armed Forces--Women.

Physical Description:

xv, 149 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, [2011]

Summary:

Initially employed by the U.S. military to support bond drives during World War II, all-female military bands drew enough spectators for the bands to be placed on tour, raising money for the war and boosting morale. The strong bond fostered by youthful enthusiasm and the rare opportunity to serve in the military while making professional caliber music continued long after the war, and would come to last some sixty years. Based on interviews with more than seventy surviving band members, Bands of Sisters tells the tale of this remarkable period in the history of American women.

Jill Sullivan covers the history of these ensembles, tracing such accounts as the female music teachers who would leave their positions to become professional musicians no easy matter for female instrumentalists of the prewar era. Sullivan further traces how some band members would later be among the first postwar music therapists based on their experience working with medical personnel in hospitals to treat injured soldiers, and how the opportunities presented by military service inevitably promoted new perspectives on what women could accomplish outside the home. All of this resulted in a lifetime of lasting relationships that would inspire future generations of musicians. Book jacket.

Contents:

Acronyms and Abbreviations xv

1 Introduction 1

Military Background 3

Women's Bands before World War II 5

Sources 7

2 The WAC Bands 113

400th WAC Band 14

401st WAC Band 18

402nd WAC Band 21

403rd WAC Band 24

404th WAC Band 29

A Treasured Memory 38

3 WAVES Instrumental Ensembles 47

Enlisted WAVES Training and Jobs 49

WAVES Ensembles 49

WAVES Basic Training and Drum and Bugle Corps 50

Specialized Enlisted Training Stations 52

Georgia State College for Women 52

Oklahoma A&M 55

Great Lakes Naval Training Station 56

Permanent Duty Station 57

An Almost-Forgotten Legacy 59

4 The Coast Guard SPAR Band 65

5 MCWR Band 85

6 Music for the Injured Soldier 107

Welcoming Home the Injured Men 111

Hospital Performances 114

MCWR Band 114

SPAR Band 115

400th WAC Band 116

402nd WAC Band 117

403rd WAC Band 119

Conclusion 123

7 Conclusions 125

Contributions to the War Effort and the Nation 125

Effects on the Women's Lives 126

Legacy for Future Generations 129

Appendix: List of Women Interviewed - Bands and Instruments 135.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780810881624

0810881624

OCLC:

720635040