service, and some were acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to the SPARS and the country. In general, SPARS looked upon their service favorably, and many of them found a form of kinship in having been a part of the nation's military forces during wartime. Demobilization With the surrender of Japan in August 1945, the USCG demobilization effort began, and the SPARS were gradually discharged. They were separated from the service on a point system, and on the basis of their jobs. However, many SPARS were reassigned to the personnel separation centers to help with demobilization (women and men reservists) and they were not separated until it was completed. The Women's Reserve of the USCG (SPARS) was inactivated on 25 July 1947, but was reestablished on a much smaller scale in 1949. Approximately 200 women who had been in the SPARS reenlisted and served during the Korean War. They mostly served at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 1973 women were integrated into the active-duty Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Reserve. The SPARS ended and those in it were sent to the Coast Guard Reserve. Legacy In his foreword to Three Years Behind the Mast, Commodore J. A. Hirschfield, USCG, observed that the SPARS asked no favors and no privileges. They did their jobs with enthusiasm, with efficiency, and a minimum of fanfare. The USCG was fortunate in having the help of the SPARS who volunteered for duty when their country needed them, and carried the job through to a successful finish. The USCG named two cutters in honor of the SPARS: was a sea going buoy tender commissioned in June 1944 and decommissioned in 1997, and , a seagoing buoy tender that was commissioned in 2001. Although the SPARS no longer exist as a separate organization, the term is sometimes informally used for a female Coast Guardsman; however, it is not an officially sanctioned term. Uniforms The uniforms worn by the SPARS were the same design and style as those worn by the WAVES, except for the service insignias; created for them by the New York fashion house of Mainbocher. The decision made regarding the type and style of the uniforms was largely that of the U.S. Navy Uniform Board. The standard uniform was a navy blue suit, consisting of a jacket and a six-gored skirt. Included were black oxfords and plain black pumps; a brimmed hat;