WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps) / WAC (Women's Army Corps)
Both the Army and the American public first had difficulty accepting the thought of women in uniform. But, political and military leaders, faced with fighting a two-front war (Germany and Japan) and supplying men and materiel for that war, realized that women could supply the additional help needed in the military. Given the opportunity to make a contribution to the national war effort, women seized it. Over 150,000 American women served in the WAC during World War II. Members of the WAC were the first women other than nurses to serve in the ranks of the United States Army.
Early in 1941 Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts met with General George C. Marshall, the Army's Chief of Staff, and told him that she wanted to introduce a bill to create an Army women's corps, separate from the existing Army Nurse Corps. In May 1942, the House and the Senate approved a bill creating the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). Although the women who joined considered themselves in the Army, technically they were civilians working with the Army. By the spring of 1943, 60,000 women had volunteered and in July 1943, a new congressional bill transformed the WAAC to the Women's Army Corps (WAC), giving Army women military status.
Although WAAC first, second, and third officers served as the equivalents of captains and lieutenants in the regular Army, but received less pay than males of a similar rank. For example, although the duties of a WAAC first officer were comparable to those of a male captain, she received pay equal to a male first lieutenant. Enlisted women, referred to as "auxiliaries," were ranked in descending order from chief leader, a position comparable to master sergeant in the Regular Army, through junior leader, comparable to corporal, and down to auxiliary, comparable to private.
The Army opened five WAAC/WAC training centers and in July 1942, the first group of 440 women officer candidates (40 of whom were African-American) and 330 enlisted women began training at Ft. Des Moines, Iowa.
Early in 1941 Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts met with General George C. Marshall, the Army's Chief of Staff, and told him that she wanted to introduce a bill to create an Army women's corps, separate from the existing Army Nurse Corps. In May 1942, the House and the Senate approved a bill creating the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). Although the women who joined considered themselves in the Army, technically they were civilians working with the Army. By the spring of 1943, 60,000 women had volunteered and in July 1943, a new congressional bill transformed the WAAC to the Women's Army Corps (WAC), giving Army women military status.
Although WAAC first, second, and third officers served as the equivalents of captains and lieutenants in the regular Army, but received less pay than males of a similar rank. For example, although the duties of a WAAC first officer were comparable to those of a male captain, she received pay equal to a male first lieutenant. Enlisted women, referred to as "auxiliaries," were ranked in descending order from chief leader, a position comparable to master sergeant in the Regular Army, through junior leader, comparable to corporal, and down to auxiliary, comparable to private.
The Army opened five WAAC/WAC training centers and in July 1942, the first group of 440 women officer candidates (40 of whom were African-American) and 330 enlisted women began training at Ft. Des Moines, Iowa.
In late 1942, WAACs began deploying over seas. As the war continued, most overseas assignments were to the European Theater of Operations and over 8,300 served in England, France, Germany and Italy. Others were deployed to the Pacific and the Far East.
The first auxiliary units and officers that went into the field went to Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) units. Later graduates were formed into companies and sent to Army Air Forces (AAF), Army Ground Forces (AGF), or Services of Supply (renamed Army Service Forces [ASF] in 1943) field installations. At first most auxiliaries worked as file clerks, typists, stenographers, or motor pool drivers, but eventually each service discovered an increasing number of positions WAACs were capable of filling. The AAF was especially anxious to get WAACs, and each unit was eagerly anticipated and very well treated. Eventually the Air Forces got 40 percent of all WAACs in the Army. Women were assigned as weather observers and forecasters, cryptographers, radio operators and repairmen, sheet metal workers, parachute riggers, link trainer instructors, bombsight maintenance specialists, aerial photograph analysts, and control tower operators. Over 1,000 WAACs ran the statistical control tabulating machines (One of the first protypes of modern-day computers) used to keep track of personnel records. By January 1945 only 50 percent of AAF WACs held traditional assignments such as a file clerk, a typist, or a stenographer. Some of the women computed the velocity of bullets, measured bombfragments, mixed gunpowder, and loaded shells. Others worked as draftsmen, mechanics, and electricians, and some received training in ordnance engineering. And a few AAF WAACs were assigned flying duties.
The first auxiliary units and officers that went into the field went to Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) units. Later graduates were formed into companies and sent to Army Air Forces (AAF), Army Ground Forces (AGF), or Services of Supply (renamed Army Service Forces [ASF] in 1943) field installations. At first most auxiliaries worked as file clerks, typists, stenographers, or motor pool drivers, but eventually each service discovered an increasing number of positions WAACs were capable of filling. The AAF was especially anxious to get WAACs, and each unit was eagerly anticipated and very well treated. Eventually the Air Forces got 40 percent of all WAACs in the Army. Women were assigned as weather observers and forecasters, cryptographers, radio operators and repairmen, sheet metal workers, parachute riggers, link trainer instructors, bombsight maintenance specialists, aerial photograph analysts, and control tower operators. Over 1,000 WAACs ran the statistical control tabulating machines (One of the first protypes of modern-day computers) used to keep track of personnel records. By January 1945 only 50 percent of AAF WACs held traditional assignments such as a file clerk, a typist, or a stenographer. Some of the women computed the velocity of bullets, measured bombfragments, mixed gunpowder, and loaded shells. Others worked as draftsmen, mechanics, and electricians, and some received training in ordnance engineering. And a few AAF WAACs were assigned flying duties.
Below is the story of Eloise Ann Russel, a WAAC member who was in one of the first groups to go into training at Fort Des Moines. Click HERE to read her story.