Imperial Valley press., 1944-06-25
ts%'s%.' s"%"a'. Of Interest to Women
Invasion Colonel Has yes on WACs Future
BY 5. J. WOOLF
NEA Staff C0rrespondeut


LONDON, June %. - This is the
old story OF a sC'ioolmarm who has
become a lieutenant colonel under
whose charge sCme 1000 American
girls are working side by side with
top army tacticians in plotting air
assaults, reporting weather, map
ping enemy terrain and keeping
abreast of the mountainous pile of
paper work connected with the in
VaSion.
When Anna Walker Wilson ar
rived here as a WAC captain a
little over a year ago there was
not an enlisted WAC in Londcn.
Now no matter where you go, from
Supreme Headquarters all the way
down the line, you will see khaki
clad young women. And the re-
sponsibility for their care, welfare
and utilization rests upon this ef-
ficient staff director.
They are doing a swell job and
they are having fine time said
the lieutenant colonel as she pos ed
for drawing. We had sneaked
away from her office to the musty
English living room filled with
shaky French furniture to avoid
constant Interruptions, for she is
one of these officers who is never
too busy to see anyone.
Despite the silver leaves on her
shoulders and the brass buttons on
her uniform this young Californian
is not entangled in red tape. Nor
has teaching dulled her sense of
humor. Always ready fer a laugh,
quick at repartee, she hides her
seriousness behind light manner.
There is a twinkle lurking in her
brown eyes surmounted by arched
dark eyebrows, eyebrows which seem
all the darker in contrast to her
prematurely graying hair.
But the smile disappeared from
her mouth as she spoke of the work
the WACS are doing over here:
I'VE have young women frcm
every walk of life and from all
parts of the country and I have
vet to find one who is sorry that
she joined up. Women are more
serious by nature than men and
l have not met the WAC who is
not conscious of the responsibility
which rests upon her.
Naturally my chief concern is
the work they are doing in many
positions once filled by men. But
l am also vitality interested in the
broadening of their outlook on life.
When they had time they travelled
about. became acquainted with
English families. Others - some
80 CT them - have married; many
to old sweethearts whom they ran
into accidentally over here
But Colonel Wilson, though she
seems to be up to her ears IN IN
vasion activity, has her eyes not
only on the present. The war Will
not last forever, and she is busy
en- plans to look after her charges
when they return to civilian life.
Born in Tulare, Calf. she is the
descendant of a family of pioneers
who made the trip to Utah with
the Mormons. She attended Po-
mona College, received her M. A..
from Claremont, took further post
graduate work at the University OF
California, majoring in education
A short married life ended with
the accidental death of her hus-
hand. She was teaching in the BeV-
.rlv Hills schools when We entered
the war. Now she has small flat
here in London where she gets her
| own breakfast.
However" she said, Il am not
so fashioned as to think that
woman's place is solely in the home
and it is for this reason that l feel
it is not up to only the men 1olk
to fight to preserve it.