Bonnie James Baxter Collection
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Bonnie James Baxter beside tree
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Bonnie James Baxter poses beside a tree with initials carved in it, circa 1944. She wears the SPARs blue service dress uniform skirt, service cap with white cover, and a white shirt.
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Bonnie James Baxter in snow at Boston Common
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Bonnie James Baxter poses in the snow on Boston Common, circa 1946. She wears the SPARs blue wool winter overcoat, service hat, black leather gloves, and black leather handbag.
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Bonnie James Baxter in working uniform
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Bonnie James Baxter poses in front of a tree wearing the SPARs gray and white seersucker working uniform, matching garrison cap, and black leather gloves, circa 1944. Her sleeve insignia identifies her as a Storekeeper, 2nd Class.
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Four SPARs in photo studio
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Four SPARs pose in front of a backdrop painted with a tropical scene while at a photography studio in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1944. All of the women wear the SPARs blue service dress uniform with service caps and hold their white gloves. Pictured (from left to right) are: Stephanie Lewis, Bonnie James Baxter, Pauline Cowley, and Jean Wyngarden.
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Oral history interview with Bonnie James Baxter
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Primarily documents Bonnie James Baxter's service in the U.S. Coast Guard SPARs during WWII." Baxter briefly discusses her youth, various office jobs she held before entering the service, recruitment posters, and her reasons for enlisting in the SPARs. Of her basic training in Palm Beach, Florida, Baxter mentions the daily physical training, white glove inspections, and kitchen patrol. She also describes her difficulty getting into storekeepers school and the long hours and difficult classes there. " Topics from her time stationed at Constitution Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts, include: the train ride there; being promoted to 1st class; leisure activities; living in an apartment; general work duties; V-E Day and V-J Day celebrations; dancing at USO clubs; and traveling in New York and Boston. Baxter also talks about being the only SPAR in the WAVES barracks in 1946, her desire to stay in the military, and regrets over not reenlisting. " Post service topics include: adjustment back to civilian life; working at JC Penney's; working at Central Motor Lines; and women's changing role in the service.
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Portrait of Bonnie James Baxter
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Portrait of Bonnie James Baxter in SPAR gray and white seersucker work uniform with Storekeeper 3rd Class sleeve insignia and service hat, circa 1944.
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Portrait of Bonnie James Baxter
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Seated portrait of Bonnie James Baxter in SPAR gray and white seersucker work uniform with Storekeeper 3rd Class sleeve insignia and service hat, circa 1944.
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Portrait of Bonnie James Baxter
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Portrait of Bonnie Jame Baxter, circa 1944. She wears the SPARs blue service dress uniform and matching garrison cap. On her sleeve is the patch for a storekeeper, 2nd class.
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SPARs at Statue of Liberty
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Bonnie James Baxter (right) and two fellow SPARs stand in front of the Statue of Liberty, circa 1945. Baxter and the SPAR on the left wear the gray and white seersucker working uniform, service cap, black leather gloves, and black leather handbag. The SPAR in the middle wears the blue service dress uniform.
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SPARs in exercise suits at Palm Beach
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Bonnie James Baxter (left) and three other SPARs pose in their exercise suits in Palm Beach, Florida, in summer 1944. The women hold various items including a large wooden box.
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Two SPARS at WAVES recruiting station
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Bonnie James Baxter and a fellow SPAR, both in blue wool overcoats and service hats, stand in the snow in front of a WAVES recruiting station, circa 1945.
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Volunteers for Victory soldier canteen, Palm Beach
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Photo of the exterior of the Volunteers for Victory soldier canteen in the Butterfield Company building on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1944. A group of SPARS stand at the entrance of the building with a line of servicemen to their right. The servicemen and women are watching a military marching band perform beside a parked jeep.
