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Tova Petersen joined the WAVES in 1942 and by 1943 she held the rank of Lieutenant. She worked in procurement and ultimately attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
After the war, she married James Wiley. She was appointed member of the Alameda City Planning Board, from 1949 to 1954.
The W.A.V.E.S. organization (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) was the US Naval Reserve Women's branch, established on July 21, 1942. The women were to replace men stationed ashore, to free up more sailors and officers for sea duty. By the end of 1942, there were 770 WAVES Officers and 3,109 enlisted; by 1945, 8,475 officers and 73,816 enlisted.
Following the war, many WAVES were demobilized, but in 1948 the Women's Armed Services Integration Act was signed into law, allowing women to serve in the regular Navy.
The term WAVES continued to be used until the 1970s.
The WAVES' uniforms included a white dress style uniform, a seersucker working uniform with gray and white stripes, and a blue dress version.
The uniforms were designed by Mainbocher, a famous New York fashion house.
Loma (whose name is on the working uniform cap 08.43.8) and Tova Petersen were sisters, their parents were immigrants from Denmark. The family lived in Missouri, Washington, and finally moved to Alameda. The family home was 1252 Sherman Street; later they lived on Saint Charles Street.
