Evening star., 1943-05-16
WAAC5 Commended
By President on
1st Anniversary
$4,000 Now in Service
Work in 100 Posts;
500, 900 Are Needed

The WAACS, whose total enroll
ment was more than 10000 members
on their first anniversary yesterday,
were congratulated by President
Roosevelt for having justified mag
nificently the trust that was placed
in them
The President, who has seen
members of the corps in training
in this country. and on duty at his
Casablanca conference in Africa.
said those who have watched
WAACS in action can only admire
and respect their spirit and courage.
The Presidents statement:
"One year ago today new page
was written into the military his
tory OF our Nation. With the or
ganization of the Womens Army
Auxiliary Corps the women of our
Nation were given an opportunity
they long had hoped for. They were
to share with men the greatest
privilege of an American citizen
the right to serve in the defense of
our country.
The WAACS, as we have come
TO know them, are one year old
and in the brief span of these past
II months they have justified the
trust that was placed in them.
There were many in the be-
ginning who smiled, and some who
violently opposed the thought of
women serving with our armed
forces. Today those of us who have
seen and know the work they are
doing throughout the military es-
ADJUSTMENTS of our country. and
In our foreign stations, have only
admiration and respect for the
spirit, the dignity and the courage
they have shown.
Proved Their Capability.
Ihe course they marked out
1or themselves was a modest one
They asked only that they might
serve in the limited fields of Army
operations where their skills and
training would be of value. Their
mission was to release for combat
outy men who were engaged in tasks
that could be performed by women.
They did, and they proved their
capabilities in the doing of their
tasks.
AT this first milestone in their
service, I congratulate the WAACS
ana express the gratitude of our
nation for a task we'll commenced.
The fine achievements during their
first year Of service vindicate the
Judgment Of those who were the
pioneers in the movement, and give
every hope of greater accomplish
ments in the strenuous weeks and
months that lie ahead"
The first WAAC took the oath
OF office just year ago. Now there
are $4,000 Of them and the Armv
wants and has asked for 100000
more.
1t was one year ago today that
Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby of Houston.
Tex, who made a success in the
War Department women's interest
section. took the oath of office as
director of the new corps.
Now Have 100 Camps.
In II months since then, the
WAC forces are installed in nearly
100 Army posts and stations
throughout the country. The War
Department has stepped up WAAC
recruiting quotas six times. The
excellent performance by a WAAC
company of picked stenographers.
flle clerks. drivers and bilingual
telephone operators in Africa has
led Gen. Eisenhower to request six
more WAAC companies. Additional
corps units serve in England. Over
seas commanders have asked for
altogether 1880 WAACS, and the
Army AIT Forces alone have re-
quested $4,000 corps members.
WAACS were originally trained
TO 40 four specific jobs: commune,
cations, administration (clericaD,
motor transport, and bakers and
cooks. The list now embraces 142
Army classified jobs. Military
women have been trained for 25
highly technical jobs with the ARMY
AIR Forces. Two hundred WAACS
in the ballistics section at the
Aberdeen, Md, proving grounds
were trained at specialist schools
OF the WAAC. The following Army
specialist schools admit WAACS:
Bakers and Cooks; Quartermaster.
Ordnance. Chemical Warfare, Ad-
1utant General, Inspector General
Army Exchange and Special serv-
ices. Successive WAAC groups are
being trained at the Army Com
mand and General Stad School at
Fort Leayenworth, Kans. !
Short Of Enrichment.
The enabling act set WAAC
strength at 10000. The oflcial
gnal was to. reach this number by
the end Of june. That means that