Newspapers / The Future Outlook (Greensboro, … / July 18, 1942, edition 1 / Page 3
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Mrs. W. P. Hobby Delivers Address Continued Krotu I'sige Uih) fields of education. *?? lal and j?er sound work, Mud In ;:roup lender ship. Between tbem ' hesO xvoi iei bad personally IntervirMed Milw* 4. 000 women ^vlio aspire 1 to l-e ufflcers in the WAAC. After days of tuitlent, couscien tlous, democratic consideration of tht qualities of leadership of these op pi I cants, the fiDal selection of 44( was made. As I looked over their applications . I was Impressed by the Integrity ol their devotion to their country; ] was moved by the Intensity of thelt desire to serve that country. There was the music supervlsot I'd the midwest, who wrote: "I fee! this is my country and I considei It a doty, an obligation and a privilege to serve. Two uncles fought In the world war. One uncle, too III now, but anxious to go again, wai decorated for bravery in Prance. 1 should be proud to have him know 1 am carrying oo.M There was the young scholar working for a B. S. in education at a large eastern university who sald:."l want to be a part of history now being made.-1 am moved to apply tor admission into the WAAC through an earnest desire'to do my share, and with fall realisation of the seriousnew of the job to be done.** From New England, a young crtl lege graduate now engaged In com inanity welfare work, tells us thai she wants to' Join the WAAC?"because America Is my country and needs my help.*" fj T.lsten to this: "My father was at officer Id the national guard before he went to France to serve In th< last war.* He. was recommended foi the Croix ,de Guerre. To say that 1 want to serve my country would b< a trite phrase; to say that I warn "-"to serve my nice would be more ex . plldt' Today, more than ever, lead era la our race are needed to earn od the traditions of service and loy alty so apparent when our country Is In distress.'* And this, from a university grad uate now working . in Nebraska "There are very few opportunity for Negro women to perform worl - and duties which will allow then fully to express their realization o the need for a united effort to carr; nnt IX. ?-.< .N.rt nf It,. rnllu States. I feel that the WAAC wll give me a purposeful and challeng log experience Id carrying out m , dutl?*." , \ . There were applications from girl from Tuakegee and from Wllbei fo^ce; glrla from Prirle View, an from Howard university and froi many other schools and college There were applications from man members of your own rtelc-mlnde sorority. Alpha aKppa Alpha. Or distinguished lender In this organlu tlon sums It up. It seems to m when she writes: "In a desire, as member of the Negro race, to sen my country st this time, I wish enroll In the WAAC. At this tin In history when the entire world at war, It la the duty of every cli sen, regardless -of race or creed, do his share to bring hack peace ai security to our 'country. I hope some way to be able to contrlbu towards this peace aod ,harmony." I could go on for many mlnnti giving yon-similar, yet always Irw ? vldual expressions' 'of .^the'patriotii > I thedrcbmitry, the loyalty- tn th? raoe^'and the responsibility to tin * sex that ^hea^VppUcanls/, feel. ' ' But 1 alwayVAftSntctoitril you, a jy to t el It horn.'that-While mom Wat i In i the WAApv Is ' .first". a sd fur* mentally, Jn .order tn help the cot ^ try, thertl" are other.^rtal, thou . ; secondary, dividend^ ,tha?^thls me ' THE 1 For Instance: The training a WAAC member receives will not only make her an efficient person in the corps, but will inuke her ;i better citizen when slie returns to - her1 i oqj in unity after the war is - wup-d and won. The vnlue of a til* l t-ip|lne?l miiiiI mid a trained laidy must not he Ignored by her; cannot be overlooked by her community. ' 'ho WAAC ineinlier will return to her home with a sharper sense of 5 civic respoDBlblllty and a deeper de Totloo to ber country. She cannot i fall but to be a powerful Influence HDd Inspiration in her community. t She will want to make democracy ? work; she will be better equipped to I help make democracy work. In a practical way, too, ahe wlll.re turn a more efficient wage-earner, . and a more skilled worker; she may I bare learned new akllla or 6be may . have had old talents more perfectly . trained. i All these things are secocid to the I first thing?of helping win the war. t But when the peace comes, these [ other things will fall Into proper place, and the woman who ' has served with the corps will take her , place as a leader. t You want me to tell you about I Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, , and I want to tell you about it. A . new chapter In American military ! history Is being written by the I WAAC. We are earnestly determined . to make this new chapter a serious contribution and not a feiululne footnote. Today, In many areas of endeavor, , this war, If you will pardon the pun, , Is being "manned" by women. There , la nothing new or surprising In this. In every national crisis. Just as in all neighborhood progress, the American woman has frtxruently. and courageously played a man's part." There was Molly - Pitcher, who t seized her husband's gun as he fell dead at the Battle of Monmouth in ^ the Itevolutlonary war, and fired her way into the history books. She won a sergeant's atrlpea from a grateful ce^ral. George Washlng' ton. * * ?V . There was Clara Barton, who pushed aaglnst the doors of maaculine opposition until she finally ob-' . talned the hospital supplies which B enabled her to found the American I i Red Ctosb. a There was heroic Harriet Tubman, f With a price of nearly $50,000 on | j her heed, she held that head high d and, by her courage and reeourcefulII neas, brought more thaD 900 of her j- people from slavery to safety dory log the night-watches of the tron bled years of the 1800a. Is This new'corps Is a 1942 expresr alon of the patrotigm and the courd &Ke that, aa I have said, the women n of America have always demons. strated in every national crisis. iy The women of America have slid ways been brave enough, adventur,p ous enough, to dare take the path a- that led to liberty. They have long e, known, an yon have long realized, a that the road to liberty Is marked re by milestones of endurance and courto ffte and faith. ne The women who Join the WAAC Ib know this?they are ready and eager tl- to undertake a long Journey, up a to new road. They are ready for aacrlid flee, as they are eager for service, in Creation of this corps was author ite i*ed May 14, when President Roosc c. velt signed the hill which had-beei s. Introduced Into Congress by Rep re SI- aentatlve* Edith JNourae Rogers, bl nn Massachusetts.' ' * 1 ^ : ir . Thf^inirpoae^of.the"corps, the firs ?ir ofkind, In "-American 'military &V histolysis ?to>.'enlist. women," notli nd the aVrny;.. but vwlth rth% varmy, / lip that' they^. may* replace, and therefc' la- release men - for' the'' fighting -front in- This,does not mean that the war de gta partment Is afraid of, or faced with tn- any sbortage'of man power*. It doe mean that' tbere^ a^e ;ceVtaln Uaki "a jnow being performed by soldiers; which women may properly take over. Enrollineo In the corps is voluntary i eod open to all women, regard leas of i race, creed or color, married or single, citizens of the I'nlted States, by j birth or naturalization. These woni- 1 en. In the ipajority of cases must U? i between the ages of 21 ami 40. A 1 small number of women l?et\veen the < ages of 40 and 4y Lmve lieen accepted as candidates for the officer- j training school, but this Is a rather , specialized category. , Recruiting for candidates for the s officer-training school which starts I at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, l^ran t May 27 and ended June 4. In this r recruiting, and only Id tills recruiting, did the applicant have to-have c had a high school education or its x equivalent In all . future enlistments 1 for auxiliaries (who are like the eu- t listed men In the army) there Is x not even the high school diploma re- i qulrement. f This Is In the interests of a truly democratic women's anny. ^ Once a woman is In the corps, ( however, there are certain profes- { alooal and technical tasks to which < she can be assigned, quite, properly, \ only If she has,had adequate profes- t sional or. technical training, and some specaiized work experience. This was the recruitment procedure. The applicant*.. from all part* of the country, 'weot to their nearest local recruiting station and gut the proper blanks. They filled them out and filed them at the appropriate main /recruiting station, of which there are 52 in the United States. It is estimated .that more than 30,000 blanks were turned In. i This response la gratifying, t not only because of its numerical size, but because of its spiritual strength. The applicant whose papers were In order aud who met other spec/fled requirements were summoned within a week for a mental alertness teat and a preliminary interview. This mental alertness teat wag similar to, but not identical with, the mental alertness testa given the boys In the army. The applications of ail those who [bad successfully passed the tests up ' to this point, were forwarded to the appropriate corps area, of which there are nine. At each corps area, approximately ^500 of the. highest ranking applicants In that area were summoned for a physical examination, aud a very detailed Interview. I . A group of women, known as director's representatives, took an important part In these Interviews. These 19 women, working Ih small groups In each of the nine corps areas. Interviewed, between them, more than 4.000 applicants. They brought tf?elr findings to Washington, Saturday, June 27, and met with roe, for four days of careful, almost prayerful, work of making the final selections. v , Meanwhile, another committee, called the evaluating board, and composed of eminent psychiatrists, both! men and women, had been reviewing! the applications and paper work of j the applicants. ~ *. _, i'.. These two groups, working first aeparately and then In conaultatlon. exchanged views and adjusted any differences In selection which. they had made Independently, and flnsl ly, Tuesday night, June 30, the final, i and I am sure you will agree, care ftil, selection of the acacepted candlf. do tea 'was made.. ? ? Q T ; J ^The women will presently be,int formed, * by r offldala . ln# their; own 7 corps area, pf their |success, . and i they.wll ^o^to Fort Dea Moines, July ? 2f?, there- n Icsrn to become "leading / ladle*,"! -eadlng ladles, hut no prima . donnas. have this on the word of k Colonel Don C. Faith;' who' Is com(, mandant of the training school, s wColooel Faith says: TTbeae women, t, prospective officer*; thevWAAC, fr* " * N. C ? ? will p* trained, first. last and *1-1 ways, in leadership?the leadership that means M-lf-confidence but not mmganre; the ability to understand i?s well as tit ?'ituimuii<l." In addlthai. Colonel Faith ha* planned a course of study design*-.) In teach the women "how to get long In a military atmosphere, low to merge Individualism Jute iinuunity living." The course of study will include: Vlilltary courtesies and ceremonies: miliary discipline and drill. Student >fficers will also be thoroughly inttructed In military hygiene and Bantation, first aid, aircraft Identlflcalon, gas mask drill, mess managerient, and mess life requirements. The candidate will wear an olive Irab uniform, attractive, but worknanllke. While In training she wfll Ive In comfortabie quarters. She will Receive WO a month during this pedod. Her meals and all necessary nedical and dental services will be tupplled by the' government. The candidate will work "hard. She vill be an a military schedule from 1 a. m. to 11 p. m., sir days a week. 5he will have - seven, 45-mlnute lasses each week day and 45 mlnites of military .drlll/ln addition to he regular camp .routine. But she wonvt work 'all" the time. i. physical fitness and ^recreation program will be under the direction >f -Miss Catharine'Van Itensslaer, of Russell Sage 'college. A resident counselor will he on hand to aid the tlrls In tbelr personal problems, and :o help In hospitality* ^ ; \ '-f A lie utDUiame WJJI KCl weCK-?ia niRm-fi hut she must remain In Dea Moines unless special * leave la obtained and 'this-will be.^given only In special canea of emergency. She will- t>? permitted -to* wear civilian Ireag.when on leave and off the post. On post, and In uniform, she may wear a bit. of/Jewelry; a~ wedding, piard or signet ring, aDd a wrist watch. At Fort Dea Moines, candidates will take a six-week Intensive training course. At Is conclusion a few trainees will be commissioned according to their Individual achievement records.. The balance of the candidates who satisfactorily com-' plcted the course will be given "certificates of capacity," but will not be ommisalnned until vacancies occur. Following the six-week course, there will be an additional two weeks spent In training for the specific jobs assigned. Re* ultlng for the auxiliaries, the equivalent of the enlisted men In the army, will,start later thls-roonth. In the group to be recruited this summer, there will t?e a sizeable representation of Negro women. The first group of Negro auxlll aries will report to Fort De* Moines, for training August 24. A second group, whose specialised training does not have to be no long, will go to Fort Des Moines, September 21. The third detachment, whose specific tasks call for a still shorter training period, will -enroll at the fort October 10. \.?X Thene groups will finish .their re quired courses at the name .time. And two companies, of l.K) each, of Negr< auxiliaries, commanded by Negro of fleers, will report to Fort "Huachnca Arizona, In the ninth corps area. No ember 16. Two companies, of the first elgh companies to he turned out of For Dea -Moines, 'will be 'composed o Negro -.woipen. ' -.'At Fort" Hucaehuca, there will b headquarters platoons, who.perforr the duties of the first sergeant, suf ply sergeant, mess sergeant, com pan. clerk and other related task*. " There "will also be clerical p'U toons' whose personnel will Includ clerks, stenographer^ typists, postJ clerks,-etc. . ,v There will- be a.variety of oece PACK TflRJK* fwrj and suitable tasks for the women to perform, and In performing them, they will, in many cages. ie- | lease men for cointmt service. The rate of pay lu this WAAC.* is as follows: First offi- ers receive 1100.07 per month, second officers, (131.2.7 per month, and third Officers, $125 i?er month. All this Is plus/quarters and o subsistence allowance of 00 cents per day. Auxiliaries have their own scale: First leader, $72 per month; leader, $60 per month; junior leader, $5-1 per month. Auxiliaries will receive $21 a month for the first four months, then $30 per month. All members can earn additional pay as specialists. There will be other benefits. For Instance: Medical and dental services, hospitalization, medicines and other appropriate health services are all provided by the government In addition, members are entitled to all the benefits to which civil service I employees are entitled under the ! Unltd ^States employees compensation act. They will also receive, all the benefits provided by the soldiers' and'sailors'-civil relief act of 1940. ;vy- v.-v v ** : By the end of the. year 1942, it Is expected that the numerical strength of the.corps will reach. 13,000. J j1' It is estimated that by June of J: p . 1943 the WAAC will number approximately 17,000. These officers and auxiliaries will be serving wherever ' they are needed; doing whatever is v. needed. '* I*' ' .Xj, Back of/ each one pt - these 300 f 1 i women Who will make up those two -r '* companies, fill be .the hope . and . faith and- pride..ofVthe five, .'mil; Vv^' lion Negrowomen . of the United- S c iStates. vWl-.-K**'* ' '-":V I The WAAC corps gives the Negro women of 1942 a new opportunity to . V/ftr* serye herl| ?iuntry in a crisis. JJlva? Negro girl of 1942 who jolnB the " j corps will' give to her country the . full measure of devotion. And she will receive new oppor- ; tunltlee for.expression. ( , Liberty is a dangerous thing; but .' not nearly so dangerous as suppress!on. Liberty belongs to those who admire Its significance and accept ita sacrifice. * It requires a spirit of adventure to start up the path to liberty. It takes a spirit of determination and devotion to keep on the path. In this v-. crisis, those who complete the journey, will be the ones who know the - " { { milestones. They will have an ability.-.ji to chart the way for a re-established '/&?? freedom "in the world when we have~"^ro won over hatred, and evil. They will ' also have an obligation to help chart this new and needed freedom. In this task, [so far-reaching In '. both space and4.tlme, the women of the WAAC Taix!| In a very special sense, the Negr^, women of t)to WA.1C will'harela unique and his- . torlc opportunity." v" The question '/you and I, and our contempoarlli^ are called upon to f answer t^day, if .clear, Ita implies-'- ;> ?,r tinna are^agimtetakable. . "Shall ^nation mntrol all oth* " 1 era, ma'Hjiiijy and economically for ' Ita own bettlaif-benefit? Or ahall we the poop I e \m a\ sovereign force gov- fc era ourselrmjAccordlng to onr own *,' *'? laws? . fifTi ,;; m V The anawe^-'ia clear; Its Impii' cations nnmlataltahle. The peoples of ' the earth shall foyero themselves bv\t'lflR f a government, of-'self-made laws. And unfiL we die jkC onr posts, Vf R die we must, we' are^obc- withVnattSBk' " flagging service, vwlth unalterable H faith and-with on remitting '-deter^/CTt^ y mlnatlon uobly to save the last' beacfcSC hope on earth.. e . Approximately 38,000 "freijfht/aM^^^f. il pnasenjt** trains are'operated'?UUyij*fL by the railroads of - tbe^i Vnl t e& a- BUtnS&s'?,
The Future Outlook (Greensboro, N.C.)
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July 18, 1942, edition 1
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