Women's Army Corps
3rd Women's Army Corps Training Center
President FDR salutes WACs at
Fort Oglethorpe, April 17, 1943
Fort Oglethorpe became the largest and most-well known of all the Women's Army Corps Training Centers in the US. About 50,000 women were trained here over its 21-month operation. Generally, there were about 8,000 women at the post at any given time. Basic training was six weeks long and then followed by various schools of advanced training in specific jobs. Below is a map of the Fort Oglethorpe area during the WAC-era of WW2. The WACs training center was mainly the "South Post" but other area around the post in the east and north were utilized.
Recruitment Videos
This WAC recruitment video from 1944 titled "It's Your War, Too," shows footage from Fort Oglethorpe and some of the other training centers such as Des Moines, IA. (Courtesy National Archives.)
Personal Photos
Below are a few lesser-known Fort Oglethorpe WAC-era pictures from Mary Kulik's photo album, pages 13 & 15. These are WACs drilling on the Fort Oglethorpe parade grounds. The first two pictures are looking northwest, and visible on the right are two troop barracks buildings that no longer exist (same two used to house the first batch of WW1 German sailor prisoners), while on the left side are some of the existing officers' homes. Mary's photo album has lots of pictures showing daily life at the post.
This photo is looking west and visible are existing officers' homes
"Keep Your Power Dry" - 1944 Film
This WW2-era film was shot at Fort Oglethorpe and includes scenes from the Chickamauga Battlefield, the South Post, the Motor Transport School, and the parade grounds on the original post. The story is really good. It is about three women who, each for their own reasons, decides to join the war effort. They meet at Fort Oglethorpe for basic training. The women undergo not only physical changes, but changes within themselves and their relationships. Grab some popcorn and see how many of the landmarks in the film you can still identify today in the historic district. Full length viewing options can be found on IMDB.com.
Essential Dates
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May 15, 1942 – Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) created.
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July 20, 1942 – First WAAC trainees arrive at Fort Des Moines, IA (1st WAAC Training Center).
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December 1, 1942 - 2nd WAAC Training Center opens in Daytona Beach, FL.
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Jan 1, 1943 – Fort Oglethorpe (FTO) 3rd WAAC Training Center activated at South Post using former provost marshal general’s school facilities. The South Post can still be seen today as concrete ruins in the northeastern quadrant of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. This is immediately south of the original Fort Oglethorpe post, separated by McFarland Avenue (formerly Post Road, also referred to as Reed's Bridge Road).
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July 1, 1943 – WAAC became Women's Army Corps (WAC). This represents an important change of the women's status in the Army. This gave the women access to many of the same benefits as male soldiers such death benefits for their families, overseas pay, and formal adoption of the same rank and insignia.
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Sept 1945 – Closing of 3rd WAC Training Center (FTO)
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Dec 1945 – Closing of 1st WAC Training Center (Des Moines)
Resources:
The following resources come from the U.S. Army Women's Museum research page:
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The Women’s Army Corps by Mattie Treadwell: http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/011/11-8/CMH_Pub_11-8.pdf
The Women’s Army Corps, 1945-1978 by Bettie Morden: http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/030/30-14-1/cmhPub_30-14.pdf
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Handwritten letters by WACs describing their time at Fort Oglethorpe: Search results | Gateway Digital History Collections. Gateway collection hosted by University of North Carolina Greensboro University Libraries.
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Looking for a relative who was a veteran of World War 2? The National World War II Museum in New Orleans offers this tool to help you research your relative's story:
Research A Veteran | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans
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