III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 735 

Acknowledging and commemorating the women in the Army who served 

in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and the Women’s Army Corp 

during World War II. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2022 

Mrs. BLACKBURN (for herself, Ms. WARREN, Ms. ERNST, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. HAGERTY, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. BRAUN, 

and Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Acknowledging and commemorating the women in the Army 

who served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and 

the Women’s Army Corp during World War II. 

Whereas Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts introduced a bill, H.R. 6293 (77th Congress), to 

create the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (referred to in 

this preamble as the ‘‘WAAC’’) to expand the types of 

jobs women could hold in the Army to address manpower 

shortages; 

Whereas President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the 

WAAC by signing the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to establish 

a Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps for service with the 

Army of the United States’’, approved May 14, 1942 


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•SRES 735 IS 

(commonly known as the ‘‘W.A.A.C. (Women’s Army 

Auxiliary Corps) Act’’) (Public Law 77–554; 56 Stat. 

278), into law; 

Whereas while 35,000 women had served in the enlisted 

ranks of the Army primarily in nursing positions during 

World War I, women had little formal means to serve in 

non-medical roles prior to the creation of the WAAC; 

Whereas despite widely held stigmas associated with women 

in the military and numerous false allegations of impropriety among members of the WAAC, women applied to 

serve in such high numbers that enrollment ceilings were 

reached within the first year; 

Whereas under the leadership of Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby, 

service in the WAAC quickly exceeded the 25,000 women 

initially expected; 

Whereas Secretary of War Henry Stimson had to raise the 

limit on WAAC recruitment to 150,000 women because 

of high levels of enrollment; 

Whereas the WAAC worked across the country, from Washington to Tennessee and from New Mexico to South 

Carolina, as well as overseas; 

Whereas members of the WAAC served in numerous capacities, including as switchboard operators, mechanics, 

bakers, drivers, cryptographers, lab technicians, and 

nurses; 

Whereas members of the WAAC, despite the quality and 

value of their contributions to the war effort, were not 

given benefits or pay equal to those of their male counterparts, and were not recognized as full members of the 

Army; 


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•SRES 735 IS 

Whereas President Roosevelt signed the Act entitled ‘‘An Act 

to establish a Women’s Army Corps for service in the 

Army of the United States’’, approved July 1, 1943 

(commonly known as the ‘‘W.A.C. (Women’s Army 

Corps) Act’’) (Public Law 78–110; 57 Stat. 371), into 

law, which converted the WAAC into the Women’s Army 

Corp (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘WAC’’), gave 

the women official military status and the same ranks 

and privileges of their male counterparts, and allowed the 

women to serve overseas; 

Whereas during World War II, members of the WAC served 

overseas as drivers, clerks, nurses, and mechanics, enabling the release of more than 7 divisions of men to serve 

in combat roles; 

Whereas towards the end of World War II, General Douglas 

MacArthur stated that the members of the WAC were 

‘‘[his] best soldiers’’, noting their dedication to hard work 

and discipline; 

Whereas General and future President Dwight D. Eisenhower 

said that the WAC’s ‘‘contributions in efficiency, skill, 

spirit, and determination are immeasurable’’; 

Whereas the WAC served as an important precursor to the 

complete gender integration of the military in 1978; and 

Whereas the brave women who served in the WAAC and the 

WAC are owed a great debt of gratitude for their service 

to the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors the women who served the United 

3 States in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp (re4 ferred to in this resolution as the ‘‘WAAC’’) and the 


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•SRES 735 IS 

1 Women’s Army Corp (referred to in this resolution 

2 as the ‘‘WAC’’) during World War II; 

3 (2) commends the women of the WAAC and the 

4 WAC who, through their dedication to the United 

5 States and perseverance through significant social 

6 pressure, served in critical military positions to aid 

7 the war effort, freeing male soldiers for combat 

8 duty; and 

9 (3) recognizes that the WAAC and the WAC 

10 overcame stereotypes to open up more opportunities 

11 for women and made significant contributions to the 

12 victory of the United States and the allies in World 

13 War II. 

Æ 


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