Spotlight on Coast Guard SPARS
from Salem History Moment
During World War II there was also a Women’s reserve of the US Coast Guard during World War II called SPARS – this was an acronym derived from the Coast Guard’s motto “Semper Paratus” – meaning always ready. SPARs was established in 1942 along with the Army WAC and the Navy WAVES. To learn more about the history of the SPARS, please visit the United States Coast Guard webpage and search for the article by Robin Thomson about SPARS. Marilyn Johnston, a retired City of Salem Employee, has created a documentary – about her mother Theresa Davis which not only gives some historical insights about the antisemitic discriminatory policies of the time, but she shares her experiences as part of the first twelve recruits including her personal account of their trip to their assigned station in the Midwest. To view the documentary produced by Marilyn Johnston, please visit YouTube and search for her video- My Mother Was a Coast Guard SPAR.
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