Coast Guard Commemorates Women’s History Month

Members of the original Coast Guard Women's Reserve are scheduled to make a presentation Wednesday morning during a Women's History Month celebration at the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay facility here. The establishment of the Coast Guard Women's Reserve in 1942 represented the first time women were accepted into the enlisted ranks of the Coast Guard. Women were allowed to fill shore positions while their male counterparts were deployed overseas. The Women's Reserve, more commonly known as the SPARS - an acronym taken from the Coast Guard's motto, Semper Paratus - Always Ready - provided the opportunity for women to directly participate as members of the armed services. Ann Wikowski, Charlotte Bart and Dorothy Dempsey enlisted in the Women's Reserve in 1943. Their presentation will uncover the hardships and joys they endured while serving in the Coast Guard. Capt. David Scott, commander of Sector Delaware Bay and captain-of-the-port of Philadelphia, will preside over the program.