Evening star., 1943-06-10
Stories About WAAC5
In North Africa False,
Lordner Declares
Harder Working Group
Difficult to Find, Says
War Reporter, on Scene
Bv JOHN LARDNER.

North American Newspaper Alliance.
NEW YORK, June 10.-As long as
woman in military uniform is
treated as standard and spontane-
Gus joke material, this is going to be
a tough war for WAACS, WAVES
and SPARS. A WAAC joins vital
war service for patriotic reasons
and at once finds herself candi-
date for Joe Miller's 10 best gags
of the year-all 10 of them. Things
appear to have reached a point nov
where the jokesmitEs. If they cannot
think of a clean WAAC story, make
up dirty one.
Last March, in North Africa, your
correspondent tried to answer or
clarity some of the rumors about
WAACS that reached us there from
home. 1t was said that WAACS
were unpopular, unwelcome, were
even considered to be nuisances. in
the North African theater. Nothing
was further from the truth. Last
month. when I left Algiers. this
particular backroom pipe legend
was still pure marijuana.
More Fiction To Explode.
Lately another variety OF buckshot
has been aimed at the Women's
Army Auxiliary Corps. which is fast
becoming the clay pigeon of the
armed forces. The new story is
ludicrous. but a lot of otherwise
level-headed typewriter failers have
taken cognizance of it, so I guess it
requires little more counter-testi-
mony from one who has seen and
known the WAACS in North
Africa.
The charge. or fiction, is as fol-
lows: That a number of WAACS
(totaling about so per cent OF the
entire WAAC force in Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhowers theater of opera
tions) have been sent home in a
state Of eXpectant motherhood. The
truth is that three WAACS in all
have come home from North Africa.
as of June T. two sick. one pregnant.
The latter is the wife of an Army
officer
Furthermore, harder working
and less frivolous group of young
women-or young men, for that mat
ter-than the WAACS in North At
rica would be hard to find or imag-
inc. All WAACS are trained for
Army chores and get them.
Especially Trained.
The WAACS in North Africa
about 300 in number, were trained
beyond the rest, were handpicked
for their job as secretaries, switch
board operators, stenographers and
drivers on the basis of experience
in civilian life-the drivers being
mainly schoolteachers with techni-
cal knowledge of motor vehicles and
long practice in handling them.
Most of the WAACS at Allied
Headquarters lived at convent
some kilometers from town, under
strict Army discipline. with their
own mess and sleeping quarters,
Their curfew was at pm. Many
of them had to start for town by
bus at m to be at their Offices
in time for work.
They did have occasional dates.
Enlisted personalities than per
cent of the WAACS in North Africa
were officers-were obliged by Army
regulations to make dates only with
enlisted men in the Army. An Army
date in Algiers is apt to be con-
fined and unglamorous undertaking.
Is News to Reporters.
And any one who had telephone
calls to make there knows how hard
the operators on the Army ex-
changes, for instance. had to work,
and wonders where they found the
time and energy for the revels for
which they are given credit.
Over and above which, there are
who seem to have overlooked the
outbreak of pregnancy and mass
exile of WAACS from Algiers en-
tirely, though it is said to have
transpired under their noses. One of
these noses belonged to your cor
respondent. I resent the story pro-
fessionallv. as we'll as in behalf of
the patriotic and diligent WAACS.
One other thing: A local news
paper eApelt iepol teu elle otlleI I'd
while on the subject of WAACS,
that Gen Eisenhower did not want
to have girls In uniform dumped
into his command area" Three
months ago I wrote (and accurately
that the generals need for trained
WAACS to fill Office and driving jobs
was so desperate that he threatened
to import qualified women workers
from England if he didn't get them
from home.
He got them, they are there, and
they are good soldiers.