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Women were able to participate in work previously off limits to them. For many women specifically, joining the military was their first time feeling independent. Women enlisting in the military became a possibility during WWII. Because there was less policing of sexuality and gender expression, it was easier for LGBTQ+ women to serve. It's likely that commanders didn't consider the likelihood of lesbian recruits. A group of Marine Corps examiners even said, “that women showing a masculine manner may be perfectly normal sexually and excellent military material." 1 Another component was that in the 1940s, women’s sexuality was often predicated on the presence of a man. There was also pressure to fill certain quotas in the units and this discouraged examiners from being too strict. Since these were newer programs, the military had not defined the screening processes very well yet. Women who volunteered to join the new Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), WAVES, and other units did not face the same gender expression challenges as male recruits. She applied to join WAVES but the military rejected her because of her race and suspected sexuality. She helped create the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services Reserve Corps (WAVES) for women in the Navy. Chung also increased the inclusion of women in the armed forces. She treated these servicemen like her children and in return they called her “Mom” Chung. Chung recruited many pilots for WWII’s famous “Flying Tigers” unit recruited more than 1,500 aviators. Margaret Chung mostly wore men’s clothing, and was rumored a lesbian. Chung moved to San Francisco in 1922 and opened a medical practice for all people. Margaret Chung, did not conform to traditional gender norms and was equally utilized and dismissed by the U.S. Margaret Chung with a Lockheed P-38 Lightning model and photos of some of her recruits.