Evening star., 1943-04-18
Training Americas Woman Army
BY Walter McCallum,
Star Stan Writer.

looked up, her grease-covered face
squirting into the brilliant Florida sun,
She squirmed out from under the frame
Of the big Army truck, stood on her feet
and shook from her dirty coveralls some
of the dirt of the garage floor.
"You can tell the world" she said,
@that we can do anything man can do
Particularly with automobiles" A smile
broke over her face, pretty through the
grease. I'VE can drive em, too. Like
this big job here. It's l0-wheeler, and
1t carries a big load, but we can
handle it,
Around one Of the training centers of
the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps
reporter who starts out kidding the pert
little girls who are doing very swell
and special man-sized job for your Uncle
Samuel, usually winds up apologizing.
They don't mind a little good-natured
joshing, but the reporter who infers they
aren't capable of doing any of the multi
farious jobs a man can do in the Army
is due for rude jolt. The WAACS don't
mince words.
eyes, sir, we can do anything a man
can do" they say. And we don't mind
KIP" In Army parlance that's kitchen
police. 1t consists of lot of things,
peeling potatoes down through serving
meals, washing messy dishes and gen.
orally taking care of the greasy debris
left after several hundred hungry women
have relieved the hunger pangs.
The Daytona Headquarters.
Daytona Beach, Fla, in peace times
one Of the many Florida East Coast
winter Fairgrounds for Northern snow
dodgers, lies at the feet of the WAACS.
They have taken over almost everything
In the resort, the swank beach hotels, the
equally swank cottages on the peninsula
across the placid Halifax River, where
the porpoises play and the seagulls wheel
They have also taken over many of the
big mainland hostelries, and are spread
Daytona Beach and environs is classed
as a military center
Eight thousand WAACS, military
appearing girls garbed in khaki, now are
at the End WAAC Training Center at
Oaytona. Other centers are in operation
at Des Moines, Iowa, pioneer WAAC
camp, and at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga, while
two more are to open at Fort Devens,
Mass, and in Louisiana, near Alexandria.
Authorized strength of the corps now is
10000. The whole idea is to train women
Tor jobs from which a soldier may be re-
leased for combat duty.
Vacationists looking for reservations
at the swank Clarendon or the Princess
Issena and other hotels in the beach
area; the Coquina at Ormond, miles
north, or many hotels in downtown Day.
tona, including the Osceola, are going
to be disappointed. The WAAC has
taken them over. Large green-painted
signs tell the story. Military Area, Re-
stricted," they say. 1t means keep out"
to civilians.
WAGES on the March.
The great beach where Sir Malcolm
Campbell and other knights of the roar
ing motor shattered automobile speed
records Is years ago, Is almost deserted
ey civilians. There, on good davs when
the ocean isn't kicking up a fuss, the
WAACS drill. A battalion retreat with
full band, put on by these we'll drilled
feminine soldiers, is among the most
Impressive sights in the Army. Wherever
you go in Daytona, either on the main
land or on the peninsula, there are
WAACS drilling in the streets, walking
brlskly between Offices on official bust
ness. or just strolling, off duty.
1 got the impression that the WAACs
have done Daytona and all north Florida
good turn. They have converted what
normally is seasonal tourist business
INTO l2-month business for the town
Perhaps they don't spend money as the
tourists and vacationists did but the
business Is spread over the entire year
instead Of few months,
Week ends are hectic. Davtona Reach
Is In the middle of densely populated
military area. Jacksonville. a few score
miles north, is a concentration of naval
units. Camp Bianding, one of the
Armys big camps, is not far awav. nor
are many other military areas. The
word has gone out that the bows might
nave date with a WAAC at Davtona
they can get there. So trains are
Jammed with soldiers, sailors and ma
rlnes heading for Daytona preceding
week ends and leaving the place late
Sunday. Officers, however. are sunnosed
TO be with officers, privates with privates
and so on.
Few Daytona Beach shops display the
abbreviated lacy evening gowns of civil
Ian days. Shop windows are cranmed
with olive drab stuff, meant for WAACs,
But the OD-clad girls linger interestedlv
oe1ore windows displaying frilly civilian
attire. Under certain conditions thew
can don civies-off duty and with per-
mission OF their commanding officer.
To Help Win the War.
Z. NO one talking with the girls can
have the slightest doubt of their Gin