The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-08-18
WOMEN SERVE
VARIOUSLY IN
F0UR-YEAR War
BY +. LEONARD RYLANp

A(AAAAiA AOaA vi VI
just over. women have invaded
hitherto unheard of fields of en-
deavor. For the first time in the
history OF this nation women be-
came part of the u. S. Army.
The organization was first called
the Woman's Army Auxiliary
Corps. In July. l943, it was made
part of the regular u. S. Army and
the name changed TO the Woman'S
Army Corps (WAC). In its early
history, all Nero personnel was
trained at Fl. Des Moines, Iowa,
and went from there to other
camps for service.
WOMEN for the Wac were
drawn from every walk Of life and
included school teachers, secre-
tarieS. Stenographers, typists,
houSekecperS, homemakers. clerks,
bakers. cooks and every other type
OF professional and non-profes-
sional female. Wacs advanced ac-
cording TO their personal qualif-
cations.
Perhaps the most famous Wacs,
beside its commander, Oveta Culp,
were the Negro Majors Harriet
West and Charity Adams.
February -. this year, the first
contingent of Negro WacS TO serve
overseas reached England where
they established a postal unit to
handle the Army postal directory
service for the entire European
Theatre OF Operations. They were
738 in number. Is OF whom we're
enlisted personnel from Detroit
and at least two of whose officers
were Detroiters.
Major Charity Adams is COM
mander Of the group which is still
in England.
A Juror arose throughout the
nation when four Negro Wacs were
convicted of refusing 10 obey or
ders-sentenced 10 one year at
hard labor and diShonorably dis
charged from the Army at Fl
Devens, Massachusetts IN March OF
this year.
The four contended that they
were ordered to perform mental
tasks at the Lowell General hos
pital because OF their color.
Following a food of protests
from women's and civic orsaniza-
tons throughout the country and
action taken by Congressman.
Mai. Gen. Sherman Miles void
ed the sentence on April 3. The
four girls were returned to duty
at Fl. Devens.
THIRTY MEMBERS or the
above mentioned postal unit cele-
brated three years in service in
England two months ago. They
were members of the first class OF
officer candidates and enlisted
women to be trained at FIT. Des
Moines. Four members of this
group were Detroiters. They were
lst 1t. Mildred v. Dupee. lst 1t
villa Cherry. Sgt Ruth Wade, and
Cpl. Annie l.. Braceful.
After a vigorous nationwide
fight the late President Franklin
d. Roosevelt approved the accept
ance OF Negro women in the Wom-
ems Reserve Corps of the Navy in
October, 1914 (WAVEs).
Very shortly thereafter the Coast
Guard announced that it would
also accept Negro women into its
reserve units (SPARS). Navy off,
Gals promised that there would be
no Jim crow units established in
training centerS and that the
Waves would be trained in then
existing training centers This
plan was followed. very closely as
outlined by Mrs. Thomasina John
son, legislative representative of
the AKA.'s Non-P Partisan league,
70 the Secretary Of the Navy For
restal.
THE FIRST CLASS OF Waves o.
81 Negroes finished training at
Hunter college in February. l945.
The class entered the training De-
cember %. 1914. They were men,
bers OF class Of 1880.
During the course there was no
segregation in dormitories, mess
halls, class rooms or drill grounds.
Two of the 81 were commissioned
officers. Thcy~Were. 1T. Harriet
Pickens, daughter of~William Pick
ems OF the NAACP. and Ensign
Frances Elizabeth Wills. Other
Negro Waves were trained at
Smith college on the same basis.
Spars were trained at the U. s.
Coast Guard Training station,
Manhattan Beach. Brooklyn, N. Y,