Women's Army Corps
3rd Women's Army Corps Training Center
President FDR salutes WACs at
Fort Oglethorpe, April 17, 1943
During World War 2, Fort Oglethorpe became the most-well known of all the Women's Army Corps Training Centers in the US. Tens of thousands of women were trained here over its 30 month operation (January 1943 - July 1945). Generally, there were about 8,000-9,000 women at the post at any given time. Basic training was generally four weeks long and then followed by various schools of advanced training in specific jobs, particularly medical training and motor transport. Below is a map of the Fort Oglethorpe area during the WAC-era of WW2. The WAC Training Center was mainly the "South Post," located on the Chickamauga Battlefield, but other areas around the post in the east and north were utilized.
Two maps of Fort Oglethorpe and associated posts during the WW2 WAC era. Source unknown but the map on the right is attributed to "Post Engineer." The map on the left has the additional labeling of South Post, North Post, and East Post.
Fort Des Moines was the first WAC training center established, followed by four others (in order of opening): Daytona Beach (FL), Fort Oglethorpe, Fort Devens (MA), and Fort Ruston (LA). The vast majority of the women soldiers were trained at Des Moines and Oglethorpe. Of these, Fort Des Moines operated the longest (approximately 44 months) and Fort Oglethorpe the second longest (approximately 30 months). Maddie Treadwell (1954 claims that the exact numbers of trainees were estimated by the camp weekly capacities, not actual census counts. Des Moines had a weekly capacity of about 9,000-10,000, while Oglethorpe's weekly capacity was 10,000. Exact numbers of WAC trainees going through each center were not actually compiled, so it is difficult to establish which camp was the "biggest." It is accepted that Des Moines was the largest training center based on total operation time. However, MGM shot a Hollywood movie at Fort Oglethorpe, which made it a household name across America when discussing Army WACs.
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). The South Post was not built for the WAACs, it was already built for the previous military police school prior to the WAAC period. There are two signs to mark the area. Park at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor's Center and ask the staff for directions.
The North Post was the original post, mostly constructed in 1904-05, which was all the infrastructure north of Reeds Bridge Road and west of the Lafayette Road (see map above on left). The East Post was all the infrastructure north of Reeds Bridge Road and east of the LaFayette Road. The East Post contained the buildings of the Booker T. Washington CCC Camp, which had housed the first black CCC company formed in GA, Co. 1464. The terms North Post and East Post did not come into use until the South Post had been built. The East Post also contained the WW2 prisoner of war (POW) camp that housed German soldiers captured in North Africa. This was located on the south side of Forest Road, just east of the creek that passes under that road. The East Post also contained the Reception and Induction Centers.
Recruitment Films
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.)
"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, decide 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.
Movie poster credit: MGM
Newsreel Film Footage
During WW2, Americans did not yet have televisions in their homes. However, they could get their news about the war and other events around the country and the world through newsreels shown at movie theaters. Newsreels were 7-8 minutes long with multiple stories in a single reel and were shown before the feature film started. Fox Movietone was a big producer of these newsreels. Fortunately for us, in 1980, the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation donated a large portion of their WW2 newsreel collection to the University of South Carolina, where they maintain a publicly accessible digital collection. This author found two amazing reels that show live action WACs at Fort Oglethorpe that possibly have never been seen since. The first is an outtake reel without sound showing the physical training of WACs, such as the obstacle course used during basic training. The second is the WAC first birthday, celebrated with a giant cake being cut with a sword and marching in parade, marking one year since legislation had been passed forming the WAAC/WAC. The third film was a series of outtakes that never made it to an actual newsreel but was intended to highlight Spanish-speaking WACs and their pride in military service. Another interesting thing about this video is that it was shot on the Chickamauga Battlefield near the Florida monument, which can be seen in the background, along with several cannons, and it is a step-by-step demonstration of how WACs were taught to don their gas masks. One of the women in this film is Babs Peel, of Philadelphia, PA, who has been identified from a photograph on page 6 in Mary Kulik's album featured above. In Kulik's album, Babs signed her picture, "Remember! We were gassed together, Good Luck, Babs."
WAC Physical Training and Obstacle Course. This outtake reel does not have sound but it is more than 5 minutes of outstanding motion picture of the women soldiers in training. It is dated May 13, 1943: Click here
First Year Birthday since Congressional Legislation formed the WAAC/WAC (segment starts at 4:30). This is an actual newsreel with sound and narration, just like moviegoers would have seen on May 18, 1943: Click here
Spanish-speaking WACs demonstrate donning gas masks and marching. The scene opens with several soldier introductions with the Florida monument at the Chickamauga Battlefield visible in the background. This entire 2:00 minute outtake is in Spanish, reminding us that Latinos stepped up to do their part in the American war effort of WW2. It is dated June 28, 1943: Click here.
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 officers' homes in the background and a portion of the parade grounds still exist today, although there are some modern youth ballfields on the parade grounds built after the war. Click the link above to visit Mary's photo album which has more pictures showing daily life at the post.
Drill and ceremony were an important part of WAC daily training.
Essential Dates
May 15, 1942 – Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) created.
July 20, 1942 – First WAAC trainees arrive at Fort Des Moines, IA (First WAAC Training Center).
December 1, 1942 - Second WAAC Training Center opens in Daytona Beach, FL.
December 1942 - Col. Hobart B. Brown returns to Fort Oglethorpe (FTO) from the Provost Marshal General School at Camp Custer, MI. He stated that he had spent some time observing the Second WAAC Training Center at Daytona Beach, FL, which he most likely did on his return journey to FTO. Brown attended a farewell steak dinner in his honor in Michigan on December 20, and on January 2nd, he is photographed conferring with WAAC officers at the South Post.
January 1, 1943 - Fifteen WAAC Officers were transferred from the Second WAAC Training Center at Daytona Beach, FL, and arrived at the South Post (Fort Oglethorpe). Their job was to get things ready for the arrival of trainees. Over the next few days and weeks, additional WAAC officers arrived as training cadre. Male soldiers also arrived to assist with training work.
January 25, 1943 - First WAAC trainees arrive at South Post. The Chattanooga Daily Times cited Miss Beverly Behr of Marion, Indiana, as the first trainee to arrive and process in. A photo caption on March 4 shows Miss Behr graduating the 4-week basic training course.
February 1, 1943 – It had been cited in previous newspaper articles that this date would be the "activation" date of the Fort Oglethorpe (FTO) Third WAAC Training Center. We will use this date as the official opening date of the Third WAAC Training Center at FTO. January 1943 was mainly a month of intense preparation by the Training Center staff to get the center ready for the arrival of the trainees. Trainees that arrived in the last week of January spent several days processing in before being transferred to the South Post to begin training proper.
Last Week of February, 1943 - Third WAAC Training Center expands to the North Post and adds a second training regiment. The WAAC 21st Training Regiment was stationed at the South Post, the 22nd Training Regiment was stationed at the North Post.
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.
Sep 22, 1943 – First mention of “Negro WACs” in Chattanooga/Fort Oglethorpe with announcement of a service program for black WACs at the Phillis Wheatley Branch of the YWCA, located at 942 E. 8th St. (now 924 E. 8th). The black WAC postal battalion known as the 6888th would not come to Fort Oglethorpe until January 1945.
July 20, 1945 – Closing of Third WAC Training Center at Fort Oglethorpe.
Dec 1945 – Closing of First WAC Training Center at Fort Des Moines.
Note: The author's research is continually ongoing. More information is being discovered and added to the website all the time. Keep checking back.
Resources:
The following resources come from the U.S. Army Women's Museum research page:
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
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.
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