Mother Was A Gunner's Mate, Josette Dermody Wingo, 1994. Bluejacket Books, 234pp, photos ISBN 1-55750-960-3

As you can probably deduce from the title, this is autobiography of a WAVE, detailing her stateside service in the Navy during WWII.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Well written, it held my interest and I found it hard to put down. Ms. Dermody discusses her time in the service, providing interesting tid-bits from the perspective of woman in what was a strongly man's service at the time. She seemed to maintain a lively attitude about the issues facing her as a female, without dwelling on the problems or painting with a broad brush.

She spent her active service in San Francisco, training sailor to shoot the 20mm Oerlikon. There is only so much she could say about the day-in day-out drudgery of that task, but she manages to give the reader a good feel about it. She talks about her off-duty activities and describes her associates well, such that the reader can feel they know them well.

9/10, a good addition to my bookshelf. ( )

Author joined the WAVES during World War II as an enlisted woman and was assigned to Treasure Island California where she taught sailors how to use ring gunsights on Oerlikons. This memoir recounts her experiences, training, the friendships she made and the growing up she did. The title comes from the stories she used to tell her sons as they were growing up during the 1950s.