Centerville-Washington History May Speaker Series Program
"Hidden in Plain Sight: The WAVES Who Helped Win the War (and Why Dayton Matters),” presented by Lucinda Davies, Tuesday, May 19, 7 PM at RecPlex West.
Event details
Tue, May 19 2026
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Free Speaker Series
JOIN US for “Hidden in Plain Sight: The WAVES Who Helped Win the War (and Why Dayton Matters),” by Lucinda Davies on Tuesday, May 19, at 7 pm at the RecPlex West auditorium, 965 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.
The WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, was a force built to meet an emergency and then quietly transformed into one of the most important talent pipelines in modern U.S. military history. Learn how the WAVES were recruited, trained, and assigned, what work they actually did (from communications and logistics to highly technical roles tied to intelligence), and why places like Dayton mattered more than most people realize. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of the scale of women’s wartime service, the everyday pressures of secrecy, and the strange emotional math of being indispensable while remaining officially “in the background.”
Lucinda Davies is a Dayton-area researcher and historical writer focused on the women whose wartime contributions were essential, classified, and too often left out of the story we tell. Her work centers on the WAVES and the wider WWII intelligence and engineering effort connected to this region, including the behind-the-scenes labor that supported American cryptanalysis and the industrial push that made codebreaking possible.
This FREE presentation is open to the public. Reservations are not required. Donations welcome. Enjoy refreshments starting at 6:30 PM and the program from 7-8 PM in the auditorium. For more information, call Centerville-Washington History at 937-433-0123 or visit centervillewashingtonhistory.org.
Links & Tags
Washington Township Rec Plex
Centerville-Washington History.
