I'll Be Seeing You: Letters Home from a Navy Girl

When Lucy Berkey graduated from Indiana University in 1942, most of her male classmates either enlisted or were drafted to serve in World War II. One of Lucy's brothers was already serving, and the other two would be called within the year. As men left to serve their country, jobs in every industry were left vacant. For the first time in U.S. history, women were desperately needed to fill positions that had always been held by men. Recruiting posters everywhere urged women to do their part. Lucy felt an urge to serve, and the strong need to escape the overwhelming demands of her job teaching art in the public schools. In August 1943, after months of consideration, Lucy enlisted in the Navy WAVES-Women Activated for Voluntary Emergency Service. Following boot camp in New York City, she was assigned to the Hydrographic Office in Washington, D.C., where she served for the duration of the war as a map artist, doing work that had previously been the exclusive domain of men. Lucy's vivid and captivating letters home are filled with warmth, humor, and love for her family and friends. She details her training, work, travel, and the unique friendships and camaraderie that developed between the women of the WAVES. Over 80 period photos, footnotes, and editor's notes illustrate her experiences. In I'll Be Seeing You, Lucy tells her own story of how a young woman, constrained by societal expectations, joined the Navy and became part of a larger, transformational movement for women.