Navy volunteer armband

[daskrieg]

Picked this armband up today, can anyone shed any info on it? It is dated 8-4-42. It is made of paper. It is stapled in form so I cannot show all the lettering. Thanks Dwayne

[daskrieg]

No one knows anything about the Navy volunteers?

[Wake1941]

Probably women and older men, could be for anything. Couldve just been when sailors were returning they helped at the port, just a guess

[RustyCanteen]

It appears to have been an early war recruiting armband from what I could find. I have seen photos of armbands like this worn in the past, but cannot find examples now. It appears that while volunteer enlistments were still open, the Navy was giving those who signed up these armbands, apparently both as a way of showing the men chose Navy (and probably hoped others would be influenced to follow suit) and to show selective service draft boards that the man was taken.

 

About the only specific mention I found was in a St Louis, Mo. newspaper dated November 8, 1942 talking about the people waiting to board trains at their station and mentioned three African American men in suits wearing "NAVY VOLUNTEER" armbands. So it looks like they were worn by volunteer enlistees until they arrived at their first training station.

[daskrieg]

Never thought of a newly recruited volunteer.. Makes sense. Thanks for the input, i would love to find an image to verify that claim as its the best one so far.