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Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps part of World War II history

Even before the attack on Pearl Corps, or WAC. Some WAACs did
Harbor, some military and Congres- not want to continue as part of the
sional leaders had considered creating Regular Army, and around 25 percent
a Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, of them decided to leave the service.
which would provide women to fill Many women still continued to
office and clerical jobs in the Army, find the WAC an appealing career,
thus freeing up men for combat roles. especially when assigned to the AAF,
When after the Japanese attack where they were known informally as
Congress re-considered its stance on Air WACs. Most of the first recruits
women in the military, it was more were assigned office duties, or worked
accommodating. Still, however, an to operate listening posts for the Air-
acrimonious debate resulted in a com- craft and Warning Service, which
promise bill signed on May 14, 1942, monitored US borders for possible
which created a WAAC but did not enemy attacks. At its peak in 1945,
grant its members military status. the Air WACs boasted over 32,000
In June, Oveta Culp Hobby, whom women in more than 200 enlisted and
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Catlett 60 officer occupational specialties.
Marshall had selected, put on the first Eventually, 40 percent of all
WAAC uniform and became its first WACs went into the AAF, where
leader. they worked in an increasing variety
By November, the WAAC had al- of roles. By January 1945, only 50
ready surpassed its initial recruiting percent of AAF WACs worked in the
goal of 25,000 women, and Secretary assignments traditionally seen as ap-
of War Henry L Stimson ordered the propriate for women, such as stenog-
program expanded to the maximum raphy, typing, and filing. Instead, Air
size Congress had set: 150,000. This WACs served increasingly as weather
number was difficult to reach, how- observers, cryptographers, radio op-
ever, because of Director Hobby’s in- erators, aerial photograph analyzers,
sistence on high recruiting standards, control tower operators, parachute
competition with the Navy’s program riggers, maintenance specialists, and
for women, and a general skepticism sheet metal workers . About 1,100
and even hostility many WAACs en- black women served in segregated
countered from men within and out- units, as did smaller numbers of Jap-
side the Army. anese-American (50) and Puerto Ri-
The program nevertheless contin- can (200) women. More than 7,000 Air Force photograph
ued to be a military success, and in Air WACs served overseas in every WACs pose by the tail guns of a 401st BG B-17 at an 8th Air Force base in England in January 1944.
the spring of 1943, the Army asked theater of operations, and three WACs
Congress to allow the conversion of received the Air Medal.
the WAAC into the Regular Army. At the end of the war, V-J Day on the war. Some Army officers, such as women in the military would weaken bill created the Women’s Army Corps
This change would equalize an ar- Sept. 2, 1945, the WAC as a whole Lt Gen Ira C. Eaker, then the Deputy the nation’s moral fiber. In the end, (WAC) and Women in the Air Force
ray of benefits and protections that had 90,779 members. Commander of the Army Air Forces, both men and women rapidly demobi- (WAF), a corps of 300 officers and
the WAACs, as auxiliaries, currently Though many women and men in recommended WAC retention based lized, leaving WAC strength on Dec. 4,000 enlisted women, none of whom
lacked. After much debate, Congress the Army looked forward to their de- on their good performance during 31, 1946, at less than 10,000. could serve as pilots despite women’s
approved, and on July 3, 1943, the mobilization, many other women also the conflict, while other officers and Following the war, most Air WACs past performance in the cockpit.
WAAC became the Women’s Army hoped that they could continue after public figures feared that retaining were discharged, and no WACs were
transferred to the Air Force when it In June 1976, the U.S. Air Force
became a separate service in 1947. began to accept women into the ser-
About 2,000 enlisted personnel and vice on much the same conditions as
177 officers continued to work in Air it did men, including allowing admis-
Force units, although they remained sion to the United States Air Force
in the Army. Academy. The separate status of the
After two years of debate and de-
lay, Congress finally established an WAF was then abolished, and women
enduring place for women in the mili- Airmen could then serve in an in-
tary with the Women’s Armed Servic- creasingly broad range of professional
es Integration Act of June 1948. This roles within the regular Air Force.

Air Force photograph
WACs at Bolling Field in Washington, D.C., use a theodolite to obtain data on
upper air flow of a balloon.
Courtesy photograph
Air WACs in World War II with new 15th AF shoulder sleeve insignia.

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