Saturday, April 10, 2010

My Aunt the WAAC (later WAC)

Thanks to my niece Katie, who found a letter and some newspaper clippings in a cookbook, I know when and where my aunt Dorothy H. Schwartz (1919-2001) was training to be a WAAC: Fort Des Moines, Iowa.

The letterhead reads: Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, Fort Des Moines, Iowa. The date: Sunday, November 29 (checking an online calendar, I see this was written in 1942). The letter was written to my grandparents.

My aunt complains of the cold because winter uniforms aren't yet available ("we're still in seersuckers"). And she talks about getting the baracks and the WAACs in shape for a formal inspection. Her closing words: "Well, let me hear from you. It's a boon and blessing to get mail, you know!"

I knew my aunt, a sgt., served in England and received the Bronze Star for "meritorious service in direct support of operations against the enemy." She was the historian for the WAC detachment, 9th Air Force, having joined the company in spring, 1943 and left it in summer, 1945. Her photo is on p. 91 of the history. Sadly, the copy in my hands was water-damaged years ago and as a result, many of the pages are stuck together. 

UPDATE in 2022: Sis and I have donated Sgt. Schwartz's items to the U.S. Army Women's Museum to keep them safe and have her included in the museum's archives/database.

2 comments:

  1. I saw your comment at another blog."so many ancestors, so little time." what a great title, long but a good title.

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  2. Thanks, Rootdigger! It's how I feel--there are so many ancestors I want to learn more about. Some day .....

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