{"id":113206,"date":"2023-03-28T08:57:48","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T12:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/va-history\/?p=113206"},"modified":"2026-03-04T11:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T16:57:10","slug":"object-56-waac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/object-56-waac\/","title":{"rendered":"Object 56: Life Magazine Story on The WAACs"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kb-image113206_611acb-18.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image113206_611acb-18 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:500px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image113206_611acb-18.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image113206_611acb-18 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image113206_611acb-18 figure{max-width:500px;}.kb-image113206_611acb-18 .image-is-svg, .kb-image113206_611acb-18 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image113206_611acb-18 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image113206_611acb-18\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/056o-Life-Magazine.jpg?resize=730,1024\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/056o-Life-Magazine.jpg?resize=730,1024\" alt=\" Life Magazine shot of WAACs on parade.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-113193\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Life photographer captures WAACs performing close order drill on the Fort Des Moines, Iowa, parade grounds. The magazine published an 8-page photo spread on the WAAC in its Sept. 7, 1942 issue. (Google Books)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>With Europe once again at war in late 1939, Americans pondered whether the United States would join the fight on the Allies\u2019 side and, if so, would women be allowed to serve in the military. The Japanese attack on <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/doris-miller\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"104256\">Pearl Harbor<\/a> in December 1941 decided the first issue. But the second question remained in doubt for months afterwards. At the time of the U.S. declaration of war, a bill to establish a Women\u2019s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was already pending in Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It had been introduced in May 1941 by <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/edith-nourse-rogers\/\">Edith Nourse Rogers<\/a>, the crusading Congresswoman from Massachusetts. Despite attracting the support of the Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, the bill made little headway in Congress until after Pearl Harbor. The measure still encountered fierce resistance from some male legislators who wanted to keep women out of the military altogether, but a revised version finally passed in May 1942.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Women had proven their <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/featured-stories\/hello-girls\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"114828\">worth <\/a>during the First World War, serving as nurses in the Army and Navy and as clerical workers in the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve. Some 10,000 Army nurses served overseas in hospitals and field units, often under dangerous conditions, but they held no military rank or grade and were not entitled to the same pay, privileges, and <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/exhibits\/origin-of-health-care-women-veterans\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"114366\">benefits <\/a>as men. At the beginning of World War II, Rogers fervently hoped to see women admitted into the Army\u2019s ranks on the same footing as men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, she recognized that she had no chance of persuading the War Department or Congress to adopt such a plan. Consequently, she settled for auxiliary status. As the original bill stated, the WAAC was \u201cnot a part of the Army but it shall be the only women&#8217;s organization [other than the Nurse Corps] authorized to serve with the Army.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in this water-downed form, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.army.mil\/women\/history\/wac.html\" rel=\"noopener\">creation <\/a>of the WAAC still represented a step forward for women, as it expanded the roles open to them within the service. At the same time, their non-military status left them vulnerable when stationed abroad, as they received no overseas pay, life <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/100-objects\/081-wwi-insurance-certificate\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"115445\">insurance<\/a>, disability benefits, or death gratuity (for their families) if killed in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Training for WAAC officer candidates and WAAC auxiliaries (the female equivalent of privates) got underway in the summer of 1942 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. The Director of the WAAC, Oveta C. Hobby, advised the first class of officer recruits: \u201cYou have taken off silk and put on khaki.\u201d The press and the public were fascinated by the cultural aspects of WAAC service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At her first press conference, reporters peppered Hobby with questions about attire (girdles would be issued if required), the wearing of makeup and nail polish (yes, in moderation), and the carrying of firearms (no). While some of the early coverage was sexist and dismissive, the WAACs also received positive press. <em>Life<\/em> magazine, one of the most popular periodicals of the day, published a flattering photo essay on the WAAC trainees at Fort Des Moines. The story highlighted their professionalism and patriotism and delivered a clear message about the importance of their service: WAACs were freeing up male soldiers who were desperately needed for combat duty.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image113206_f455e8-37.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image113206_f455e8-37 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:450px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image113206_f455e8-37.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image113206_f455e8-37 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image113206_f455e8-37 figure{max-width:450px;}.kb-image113206_f455e8-37 .image-is-svg, .kb-image113206_f455e8-37 .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image113206_f455e8-37 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image113206_f455e8-37\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/056o-Recruting-poster-scaled.jpg?resize=688,1024\" class=\"kb-advanced-image-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/056o-Recruting-poster-scaled.jpg?resize=688,1024\" alt=\"Recruiting poster encouraging women to join the WAAC.\" class=\"lazyload kb-img wp-image-113192\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Recruiting poster encouraging women to join the WAAC. The typical WAAC recruit was in her mid-twenties and single, with a high school diploma and some clerical work experience. (U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While skepticism about their capabilities followed the WAACs into the ranks, Army leaders readily recognized their value. Before the first female auxiliary graduated from basic training, more than 80,000 requisitions for their services had been received from Army field commands. In November, the War Department secured the president\u2019s approval to accelerate recruitment and increase the size of the corps to 150,000, the maximum permitted by law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Army officials also revised their original plans to employ WAACs primarily in clerical positions; instead, they were permitted to serve in hundreds of non-combat military specialties. Although many did work as clerks and typists, others became radio operators, parachute riggers, truck drivers, surgical technicians, and cryptologists, to name just a few of the jobs they performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the beginning of 1943, the head of the Army, Gen. Marshall, was ready to declare the WAAC experiment a success: \u201cAlthough the Corps is still in the formative period of organization, its members have convincingly demonstrated their ability to render a vital military service.\u201d However, their non-military status was a barrier to their employment overseas and also caused more than a few administrative headaches for the Army. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In February, the War Department endorsed a new bill proposed by Congresswoman Rogers that did away with women\u2019s auxiliary status and made the corps part of the Regular Army. On July 1, 1943, the bill establishing the Women\u2019s Army Corps (WAC) became law. About three-fourths of the 60,000 women currently enrolled in the WAAC chose to continue their service and join the WAC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the war\u2019s end, the size of the WAC had grown to almost 100,000 and women had deployed to every major theater of operations, from the Middle East to the Southwest Pacific. For the first time, women held military rank just like their male counterparts and were granted the same allowances, privileges, and protection. Their relatively equal treatment continued after their discharge, as WACs qualified for the<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/100-objects\/object-46-draft-of-gi-bill\/\">GI Bill<\/a><\/strong> and other benefits extended to male Veterans. In 1948, the government ended any questions about the right of women to serve by authorizing their enlistment and appointment in the active and reserve components of all branches of the armed forces. &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The creation of the Women&#8217;s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942 allowed women for the first time to serve with the Army in non-nursing roles.  Life Magazine reported on the first group of WAAC officer candidates and auxiliaries going through training in a lengthy photo essay that highlighted the women&#8217;s professionalism and patriotism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117352,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[31,33,8],"class_list":["post-113206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-100-objects","tag-women-veterans","tag-womens-history-month","tag-world-war-ii"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/object-56-waac\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Object 56: Life Magazine Story on The WAACs","url":"http:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/object-56-waac\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/object-56-waac\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/56-1-Life-Magazine-1.webp?w=222","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/56-1-Life-Magazine-1.webp"},"articleSection":"History of VA in 100 Objects","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)"}],"creator":["Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"VA History","logo":""},"keywords":["women veterans","women's history month","world war ii"],"dateCreated":"2023-03-28T12:57:48Z","datePublished":"2023-03-28T12:57:48Z","dateModified":"2026-03-04T16:57:10Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Object 56: Life Magazine Story on The WAACs\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/department.va.gov\\\/history\\\/object-56-waac\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/department.va.gov\\\/history\\\/object-56-waac\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/department.va.gov\\\/history\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/10\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/56-1-Life-Magazine-1.webp?w=222\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/department.va.gov\\\/history\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/10\\\/2023\\\/03\\\/56-1-Life-Magazine-1.webp\"},\"articleSection\":\"History of VA in 100 Objects\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)\"}],\"creator\":[\"Department of Veterans Affairs (smw)\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"VA History\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"women veterans\",\"women's history month\",\"world war ii\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2023-03-28T12:57:48Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-28T12:57:48Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-04T16:57:10Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/department.va.gov\/p.js"},"meta_box":{"external_links":"0","endorsement":"0","subheading":"","featured_image_alt_text":"\"Life\" photographer captures WAACs performing close order drill on the Fort Des Moines, Iowa, parade grounds. The magazine published an 8-page photo spread on the WAAC in its Sept 7, 1942, issue. Approximately 120 women are marching on an open field with trees and post buildings in the background. (Google Books)","byline":"Maureen Thompson, PhD, Historian, Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System","author_title":"Historian, Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System","external_source":"","external_source_url":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113206"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116119,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113206\/revisions\/116119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}