📖 1951 WAVES Boot Camp – Company 51-W23, USNTC Great Lakes (*Anchor & Blades*)

Front Cover, Great Lakes USNTC "Anchor and Blades" 1951 Company W23. | GGA Image ID # 167e5af271

QuickFacts

• Training Center: U.S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois
• Year / Company: 1951, WAVES Company W23
• Commander: Chief Storekeeper Agnes McSkimming (Company Commander)
• Graduates: 68 women (training dates not reported)
• Document Type: Yearbook (Anchor & Blades)
• Standout Features:
  • Women officers and chiefs leading all levels of command (regimental, battalion, company)
  • Honors awarded (e.g., American Spirit Honor Medal, Honor Wave)
  • Full recruit roster with hometowns — valuable for genealogists

What Makes This Unique ✨

Unlike male boot camp yearbooks, Company W23 highlights administrative and technical training rather than physical drill or combat readiness. Women were prepared as yeomen, storekeepers, personnel specialists, communicators, and clerks — roles critical to Navy operations during the Korean War era.

This yearbook is also unusual for its depth of leadership documentation, showing WAVES in command positions across two battalions, complete with officers, chiefs, petty officers, and regimental staff. It demonstrates how WAVES were not auxiliary, but integral to the functioning of the Navy’s shore commands by 1951.

Leadership And Staff 👩‍✈️

The leadership of Company W23 is notable for its breadth and professionalism:

• Company Commander: Agnes McSkimming, Chief Storekeeper
• Officer in Charge: Lt. Almira B. Davis
• Yeoman Chief: Evelyn M. A. Helm
• Personnel & Scheduling Officers: Lt. Lois A. Simons, Lt. Martha M. Perry, LTJG Martha Tarkington

At the regimental level, women filled positions from Commander to Master-at-Arms, with names such as Lt. Viola B. Sanders (later a distinguished officer in Navy history). This represents a milestone moment when women’s leadership was formalized and visible within Navy training centers.

Company 51-W23 Leadership

• LT Almira B. Davis, USN — Officer in Charge
• CY Evelyn M. A. Helm, USN — Officer in Charge Yeoman
• LT Lois A. Simons, USN — Schedule Officer
• LTJG Martha Tarkington, USN — Personnel Officer
• LT Martha M. Perry, USN — First Lieutenant
• PN1 Nancy G. Pickett, USN — Regimental Master at Arms
• YN1 Betty White, USN — Personnel Yeoman
• YN1 Jessamy M. Brown, USN — Personnel Yeoman

Note: We have revised the format of the original to update it to the current Armed Forces styling of Rank, Name, Branch of Service.

Instruction Staff 🛠️

The instructional staff included a mix of chief petty officers, petty officers, and lieutenants overseeing:

• Ships & Aircraft instruction (Yeoman, Quartermaster, Personnelman staff)
• History & Organization
• Physical Education
• Drill & Processing

This wide range of topics illustrates the Navy’s shift toward training women in comprehensive shore-based specialties, essential for freeing men for sea duty during Korea and beyond.

FIRST BATTALION

• LTJG Marion Hodgson, USN — Battalion Commander
• YN1 Frances L. Swallow, USN — Battalion Adjutant
• PN3 Virginia M. Busti, USN — Battalion Master-at-Arms
• DKC Virginia M. Doerr, USN — Company Commander
• CTO Mary A. Fullbright, USN — Company Commander
• CPN Mary D. Popp, USN — Company Commander
• SA Josephine F. Atkins, USN — Battalion Clerk
• CPN Maryellen Whelan, USN — Company Commander
• DK1 Genevieve F. Arasin, USN — Company Commander
• PN2 Winifred F. Bishop, USN — Processing and Drill
• LT Mabel V. Hughes, USN — Course Chairman
• PN1 Virginia Eddy, USN — Jobs & Training and Organization
• PN1 Mary K. Geer, USN — History
• YN1 Ruth G. Jones, USN — Jobs & Training and Organization
• PN2 Lanora G. King, USN — History
• DK1 Mary M. Millar, USN — Jobs & Training and Organization
• PN2 Shirley Paulsen, USN — History
• SK2 Marjorie L. Pearson, USN — Jobs & Training and Organization
• PN3 Dorothy Sudomir, USN — History

Note: We have revised the format of the original to update it to the current Armed Forces styling of Rank, Name, Branch of Service.

SECOND BATTALION

• LT Virginia K. McKinley, USN — Battalion Commander
• CYN Celia D. Frost, USN — Company Commander
• SK1 Eloise M. Aley, USN — Battalion Adjutant
• PN2 Jane Graff, USN — Company Commander
• SK1 Bertha L. Dotterer, USN — Battalion Master-at-Arms
• DKC Maria Leonard, USN — Company Commander
• SA Shirley R. Robinson, USN — Battalion Clerk
• SKC Agnes McSkimming, USN — Company Commander
• CPN Margaret A. Cassidy, USN — Company Commander
• PN2 Elizabeth Klock, USN — Processing and Drill
• LT Catherine E. Cox, USN — Instruction Officer
• PN3 Esther M. Dunkelberger, USN — Instruction Yeoman
• CPN Doris J. Sisson, USN — Physical Education
• CPN Phyllis C. Poole, USN — Physical Education
• SK2 Catherine Caswell, USN — Physical Education
• SN Shirley J. Brooke, USN — Physical Education
• SN Sybil J. Griffin, USN — Physical Education

Note: We have revised the format of the original to update it to the current Armed Forces styling of Rank, Name, Branch of Service.

INSTRUCTION

• LT Frances L. Broughton, USN — Course Chairman
• YN1 Helen G. Harty, USN — Ships and Aircraft
• PN1 Dolly D. Quinn, USN — Ships and Aircraft
• QMC Charles Smith, USN — Ships and Aircraft
• PN2 Edyth A. Viaud, USN — Ships and Aircraft
• YN3 Mina Dunning, USN — Personnel
• PN3 Lenore C. Garvais, USN — Personnel
• YN1 Evon L. Prose, USN — Personnel
• SKC Kathryn M. Smith, USN — Personnel
• SKC Agnes McSkimming, USN — Company Commander
• Barbara Zealor — American Spirit Honor Medal & Honor Wave (Salem, MA)

Note: We have revised the format of the original to update it to the current Armed Forces styling of Rank, Name, Branch of Service.

Company 51-W23 Great Lakes NTC Administrative Staff

• LT Viola B. Sanders, USN — Regimental Commander
• SA Geraldine L. Floarke, USN — Regimental Clerk
• JO1 Barbara Thompson, USN — Uniforming
• DKC Ardath J. Green, USN — Regimental Adjutant
• PN1 Lenore M. Docherty, USN — Drill
• DK1 Ethel H. Wedemeyer, USN — Uniforming
• YN2 Jennie M. Peacock, USN — Schedule Adjutant
• PN1 Betty S. Synhorst, USN — Drill
• SA Betty E. Mayhall, USN — Driver

Note: We have revised the format of the original to update it to the current Armed Forces styling of Rank, Name, Branch of Service.

🌟Notable Officer Biographies

Agnes McSkimming (Chief Storekeeper, Company Commander)

Agnes McSkimming served as the Company Commander for W23, holding the rate of Chief Storekeeper (SKC). She was one of the early WAVES leaders entrusted with commanding a women’s training company at Great Lakes. Storekeepers managed Navy supply chains — a critical skill during the Korean War era. McSkimming’s role illustrates how women were not simply auxiliary clerks but entrusted with logistics leadership, an area vital to Cold War naval readiness.

Legacy note: Later mentions of McSkimming appear in Bainbridge training rosters through the 1950s, suggesting she continued to train and mentor successive generations of WAVES.

Viola B. Sanders (Lieutenant, Regimental Commander)

Viola Brown Sanders (1921–2013) was one of the most distinguished WAVES officers. A graduate of Mississippi State College for Women, she joined the Navy in 1943 and rose rapidly through the ranks. By 1951 she was Regimental Commander at Great Lakes, supervising hundreds of recruits. In 1959, Sanders became Director of the WAVES, overseeing the integration of women into an increasingly permanent role in the U.S. Navy.

Legacy note: After her retirement, she was inducted into the Mississippi Women’s Hall of Fame for her pioneering service.

Almira B. Davis (Lieutenant, Officer in Charge)

Lt. Almira B. Davis served as Officer in Charge for Company W23, responsible for direct discipline, scheduling, and overall recruit management. Like many female officers of the time, Davis likely entered service during World War II and remained to help shape the Navy’s postwar women’s training infrastructure.

Legacy note: Though fewer records are readily available, Navy lists place her at Great Lakes during multiple WAVE companies, indicating a sustained career in training command.

Roster And Portraits 📋

The recruit roster of 68 WAVES lists names, hometowns, and occasional roles (e.g., Jane Evans — Bugler, Patricia Laggan — Platoon Leader).

This detail is invaluable for genealogists, offering direct leads to localities and family names across the United States. Recruits came from New Mexico to Maine, California to Ohio, reflecting the national breadth of WAVES recruitment.

Company 51-W23 Recruit Roster (1951) [Note 1]

1. Betty Mae Abbott – Highland Park, Mich.
2. Angie Archibeçue – Albuquerque, N. Mex.
3. Rosalie Ardelan – Florence, N.J.
4. Jean Beebe – Glen Ellyn, Ill.
5. Norma Bennett – Durant, Okla.
6. Alice Bito – South River, N.J.
7. Darel Blackburn – Mars, Pa.
8. Patricia Bratton – York, Pa.
9. Norma Brumitt – Louisville, Ky.
10. June Burth – New York, N.Y.
11. Frances Caire – Albuquerque, N. Mex.
12. Maria Caire – Albuquerque, N. Mex.
13. Katherine Connally – Rye, N.Y.
14. Betty Jane Cozza – Bridgeport, Conn.
15. Mary L. Dawson – Walkerton, Ind.
16. Lauretta Dempsey – Rockland, Mass.
17. Shirley Esche – Rome, N.Y.
18. Jane Evans – Bugler – Salamanca, N.Y.
19. Martha Fennell – Atlanta, Ga.
20. Betty Flexmin – Monroe, La.
21. Ann Good – Loudonville, Ohio
22. Marifrances Grady – Springfield, Ill.
23. Sylvia Maa Gudowitz – Buffalo, N.Y.
24. Mattie Hall – [Address not listed]
25. Elizabeth Hallenbeck – Rome, N.Y.
26. Marguerite Hill – Potsdam, N.Y.
27. Lois Hodges – Clarksdale, Miss.
28. Evelyn Hudson – Cairo, Ga.
29. Bethany Hunter – Burbank, Calif.
30. Betty Johnson – Sonoma, Calif.
31. Janice Knoff – Chicago, Ill.
32. Alice Konicki – Ware, Mass.
33. Patricia Laggan – Platoon Leader – Fairlawn, N.J.
34. Carolyn Lanctot – Waltham, Mass.
35. Betty Lee – Van Nuys, Calif.
36. Patricia Leik – York, Pa.
37. Georgetta Lincoln – Greenville, Miss.
38. Betty Livingston – Jacksonville, Fla.
39. Cecilia London – Weirton, W.Va.
40. Norma Loughner – Irwin, Pa.
41. Norma Marcinek – Ware, Mass.
42. Ruth Mattfield – Billings, Mont.
43. Isobel McKenney – Harrington, Maine
44. Geraldine Meyers – McNary, Ore.
45. Ethel Miller – Canton, Pa.
46. Betty Moore – [Address not listed]
47. Evelyn Mott – Colmesneil, Texas
48. Claudia Parker – Chico, Calif.
49. Marion Partin – Conway, Ark.
50. Geraldine Prizel – Angola, N.Y.
51. Jean Putnam – Pontiac, Mich.
52. Marion Raabe – Altadena, Calif.
53. Martha Rainey – Capitol Hill, Okla.
54. Anna Reichert – Sandy, Utah
55. June Rittenhouse – West Chester, Pa.
56. Betty Rose – St. Clair, Mich.
57. Garnett Royce – Deer Park, Wash.
58. La Vaunne Schnell – Seattle, Wash.
59. Dorothy Sachwantner – St. Louis, Mo.
60. Fayne Spirawk – Elmira Heights, N.Y.
61. Vada Marie Stoner – Kansas City, Mo.
62. Edna Walker – Louisville, Ky.
63. Lolita Whittemore – Carson City, Nev.
64. Patsy Wickerham – Hicksville, Ohio
65. Jennie Wika – Seattle, Wash.
66. Joyce Ann Wilson – Fort Atkinson, Wis.
67. Ruth Woerlein – Columbus, Ohio
68. Barbara Zealor – ACPO – Salem, Mass. [Note 2]

NOTES

1. In Roster and Portraits that the original roster was printed in Last Name, First Name order, but reformatted here for readability.
2. For genealogical audiences, Barbara Zealor (was the recipient of the American Spirit Honor Medal)

📋 Company 51-W23 Recruit Roster (1951, standardized)

1. Betty Mae Abbott — Highland Park, MI
2. Angie Archibeçue — Albuquerque, NM
3. Rosalie Ardelan — Florence, NJ
4. Jean Beebe — Glen Ellyn, IL
5. Norma Bennett — Durant, OK
6. Alice Bito — South River, NJ
7. Darel Blackburn — Mars, PA
8. Patricia Bratton — York, PA
9. Norma Brumitt — Louisville, KY
10. June Burth — New York, NY
11. Frances Caire — Albuquerque, NM
12. Maria Caire — Albuquerque, NM
13. Katherine Connally — Rye, NY
14. Betty Jane Cozza — Bridgeport, CT
15. Mary L. Dawson — Walkerton, IN
16. Lauretta Dempsey — Rockland, MA
17. Shirley Esche — Rome, NY
18. Jane Evans — Bugler — Salamanca, NY
19. Martha Fennell — Atlanta, GA
20. Betty Flexmin — Monroe, LA
21. Ann Good — Loudonville, OH
22. Marifrances Grady — Springfield, IL
23. Sylvia Maa Gudowitz — Buffalo, NY
24. Mattie Hall — [Address not listed]
25. Elizabeth Hallenbeck — Rome, NY
26. Marguerite Hill — Potsdam, NY
27. Lois Hodges — Clarksdale, MS
28. Evelyn Hudson — Cairo, GA
29. Bethany Hunter — Burbank, CA
30. Betty Johnson — Sonoma, CA
31. Janice Knoff — Chicago, IL
32. Alice Konicki — Ware, MA
33. Patricia Laggan — Platoon Leader — Fairlawn, NJ
34. Carolyn Lanctot — Waltham, MA
35. Betty Lee — Van Nuys, CA
36. Patricia Leik — York, PA
37. Georgetta Lincoln — Greenville, MS
38. Betty Livingston — Jacksonville, FL
39. Cecilia London — Weirton, WV
40. Norma Loughner — Irwin, PA
41. Norma Marcinek — Ware, MA
42. Ruth Mattfield — Billings, MT
43. Isobel McKenney — Harrington, ME
44. Geraldine Meyers — McNary, OR
45. Ethel Miller — Canton, PA
46. Betty Moore — [Address not listed]
47. Evelyn Mott — Colmesneil, TX
48. Claudia Parker — Chico, CA
49. Marion Partin — Conway, AR
50. Geraldine Prizel — Angola, NY
51. Jean Putnam — Pontiac, MI
52. Marion Raabe — Altadena, CA
53. Martha Rainey — Capitol Hill, OK
54. Anna Reichert — Sandy, UT
55. June Rittenhouse — West Chester, PA
56. Betty Rose — St. Clair, MI
57. Garnett Royce — Deer Park, WA
58. La Vaunne Schnell — Seattle, WA
59. Dorothy Sachwantner — St. Louis, MO
60. Fayne Spirawk — Elmira Heights, NY
61. Vada Marie Stoner — Kansas City, MO
62. Edna Walker — Louisville, KY
63. Lolita Whittemore — Carson City, NV
64. Patsy Wickerham — Hicksville, OH
65. Jennie Wika — Seattle, WA
66. Joyce Ann Wilson — Fort Atkinson, WI
67. Ruth Woerlein — Columbus, OH
68. Barbara Zealor — ACPO — Salem, MA

🌟 Notable Recruit Biography

Barbara Zealor (Recruit, Honor Graduate, Salem, Mass.)

Recruit Barbara Zealor of Salem, Massachusetts distinguished herself by receiving both the American Spirit Honor Medal and designation as the company’s Honor Wave. The American Spirit Honor Medal was awarded for exemplary leadership, teamwork, and embodiment of Navy values. Zealor’s achievement marked her as one of the most promising graduates of Company W23.

Legacy note: For genealogists, Zealor’s hometown and recognition make her an excellent research target; she represents the high standards WAVES recruits could attain.

Company 51-W23 Great Lakes NTC Administrative Staff, Page 1. Portrait Photos Included LT Almira B. Davis, CY Evelyn M. A. Helm, LT Lois A. Simons, LTJG Martha Tarkington, LT Martha M. Perry, PN1-RMA Nancy G. Pickett, YN1 Betty White, and YN1 Jessamy M. Brown. | GGA Image ID # 167e5c2d86

Company 51-W23 Great Lakes NTC Regimental Staff, Page 2. Portrait Photos Included LT Viola B. Sanders, DKC Ardath J. Green, YN2 Jennie M. Peacock, SA Geraldine L. Floarke, PN1 Betty S. Synhorst, JO1 Barbara Thompson, DK1 Ethel H. Wedemeyer, and SA Betty E. Mayhall. | GGA Image ID # 167ed9e95f

Portrait Photos Included:

FIRST BATTALION

LTJG Marion Hodgson, YN1 Frances L. Swallow, PN3-BMA Virginia W. Busti, SA Josephine F. Atkins, DK1 Genevieve F. Arasin, DKC Virginia M. Doerr, CTO Mary D. Popp, CNP Maryellen Whelan, and PN2 Winifred F. Bishop.

SECOND BATTALION

LT Virginia K. McKinley, SK1 Eloise M. Aley, SK1 Bertha L. Dotterer, SA Shirley R. Robinson, CTO Margaret A. Cassidy, LT Catherine E. Cox, PN3 Esther M. Dunkelberger, YNC Celia D. Frost, PN2 Jane Graff, DKC Maria Leonard, SKC Agnes McSkimming, PN2 Elizabeth Klock, PNC Doris J. Sisson, PNC Phyllis C. Poole, SK2 Catherine Caswell, SN Shirley J. Brooke, and SN Sybil J. Griffin.

INSTRUCTION OFFICERS AND STAFF

LT Mabel V. Hughes, PN1 Virginia Eddy, YN1 Ruth G. Jones, DK1 Mary M. Millar, SK2 Marjorie L. Pearson, PN1 Mary K. Geer, PN2 Lanora G. King, PN2 Shirley Paulsen, and PN3 Dorothy Sudomir.

Company 51-W23 Great Lakes NTC Instruction, Page 5. Portrait Photos Included LT Frances L. Broughton, YN1 Helen G. Harty, PN1 Dolly D. Quinn, QMC Charles Smith, PN2 Edyth A. Viaud, YN3 Mina Dunning, PN3 Lenore C. Garvais, YN1 Evon L. Prose, and SKC Kathryn M. Smith. | GGA Image ID # 167efe6394

Company 51-W23 Great Lakes Naval Training Center Company Commander and Honor Wave, Page 6. Included Portrait Photo of SKC Agnes Mcskimming, Company Commander. Other Photos Included: Barbara Zealor, Recipient of the American Spirit Honor Medal and Honor Wave (From Salem, Ma). Uncaptioned Images Included: Group Photo of Choir Rehearsal?, Walking the Gauntlet of Raised Arms, Conversation With Friends, and Waves in Formation. | GGA Image ID # 167f33a354

Company 51-W23 Great Lakes WAVES Recruits, Page 1 (Abbott-Hall). | GGA Image ID # 167f3701ec

Company 51-W23 Great Lakes WAVES Recruits, Page 2 (Hallenbeck-Parker). | GGA Image ID # 167f67fe16

Company 51-W23 Great Lakes WAVES Recruits, Page 3 (Partin-Zealor). | GGA Image ID # 167fed3ed6

Noteworthy Images 🖼️

• Front Cover, “Anchor & Blades” (1951) | GGA Image ID #167e5af271
• Administrative Staff | GGA Image ID #167e5c2d86
• Regimental Staff | GGA Image ID #167ed9e95f
• Instruction Staff (1st & 2nd Battalions) | GGA Image ID #167eeb743c
• Company Commander & Honor Wave (Barbara Zealor, Salem, Mass.) | GGA Image ID #167f33a354
• Recruit Portrait Pages (7–9) | GGA IDs #167f3701ec, #167f67fe16, #167fed3ed6

These images provide faces, uniforms, and organizational structure — bringing to life the pioneering women of Company W23.

Relevance And Research 🎯

Teachers & Students: A primary-source tool to discuss gender roles in military history, the Korean War mobilization, and the transformation of women’s work during the 1950s.

Genealogists: A treasure trove of faces, names, and hometowns for tracing family connections to WAVES.

Historians & Veterans: A case study in institutional change — showing women not only as recruits, but also as leaders, instructors, and regimental staff.

Final Thoughts ⚓

Company W23’s Anchor & Blades yearbook is a hidden gem. It captures a pioneering group of women at a moment when the Navy was redefining its structure in the face of Cold War demands. For future generations, these rosters and images serve as a lasting tribute to the trailblazing WAVES who proved women’s indispensable place in the U.S. Navy.

💙 Teachers gain lesson-ready material.
📚 Genealogists find names and hometowns.
⚓ Historians see the Navy’s gender integration in action.