Be A Marine - Free A Marine to Fight

During WWII, the need for American troops superseded the traditional draft conscripts. Congress passed special legislation to allow women to serve in four units: the Women's Army Corps (WAC), the Navy Women's Reserve (WAVES), the Marine Corps Women's Reserve, and the Coast Guard Women Reserves (SPARS). Here, we see a professional and concentrated Reserve member, dutifully inspecting a Marine plane for battle. She was Veronica Byrnes Bradley (1923-2018), who began her service repairing planes in California. She would eventually be rewarded the World War II Victory Medal and the Connecticut Wartime Service Medal.

The Marine Corps Women's Reserve was founded in 1942 and would grow to be 19,000 women strong. The essential purpose of the Reserve was to train women to take over shore stations, so those former male managers could be sent into battle. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said of the Reserve,"You have quickly and efficiently taken over scores of different kinds of duties that not long ago were considered strictly masculine assignments, and in doing so, you have freed a large number of well trained, battle ready men of the corps for action."

This is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster has been archivally backed onto linen and is in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.