My Life as a WAC by Margaret A. Smith

Author:Margaret A. Smith [Smith, Margaret A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Military
ISBN: 9781647015152
Google: kFsXEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Page Publishing Inc
Published: 2021-01-27T00:46:17+00:00

We met Major West at the station and brought her back to the area; she discussed briefly her mission, telling us that Washington had been getting unfavorable reports from the WACs and she was down to investigate. We told her of the IGD from Atlanta and Ms. Garrett from the newspaper. She felt very sorry for us, but she, too, had a job to do. The next morning, we took her to headquarters to report to Colonel Addington. Well, this was our first laugh since the whole mess of investigations started over a month ago. Then Major West walked into headquarters, and the entire office personnel stopped working. Most of them were civilians, and it was apparent that they had never seen or heard of a Negro WAC major—they were too startled to work. Major West was a very striking woman with black hair and a gray streak running through it. She is a very attractive woman. She reported to Colonel Addington and returned to our area with us.

We had a company meeting for her, and she explained to the girls the reasons for all the inspections. She answered questions—questions that we couldn’t possibly answer. The girls found that although at that particular time the promotions were frozen in the fourth SC, we had been fortunate in receiving so many before they were frozen. She told them of most of the other companies in the fourth SC that had only one-third the stripes we had, and yet they had more personnel in most instances. Most of their questions were directed to stripes, conditions of other WAC detachments, recreation facilities, pass and furlough situations, court-martial conditions, etc. She answered them all. The one thing that she told them about our detachment that was outstanding to her was that she found that the girls were not afraid to express their opinions to their officers. She was glad to see that the girls asked her questions freely because that was the only way that they would be satisfied at the post they were stationed.

We took her through the hospital, and she had a long conversation with Colonel Ferenbaugh. She was proud of the work the girls were doing and informed them that our detachment had more important jobs in the Station Hospital than any other detachment she had visited so far in the fourth SC. This time, the girls were pleased with the inspector and told her so. She left after a week of inspection and told us that her report to Colonel Hobby about our detachment would be a favorable one.

On 7 February 1944, Cpl. Shelton came to ask me for her furlough that had been denied her in January due to her confinement. I told her she could pick it up the afternoon of February 9, as we made them up in the office, but they had to go to headquarters for the adjutant’s signature. She was then quite sincere in being sorry about the holidays and promised both Capt. Campbell

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