The Women’s Army Corps: Book One (The United States Army in World War II)

This two-volume work recounts the history through World War II. Book One ends on page 491 and covers WAC origins and service in the Pacific. North Africa, and Europe during World War II. Book Two tells more of the interesting societal and administrative history. This history of the WAC is comprehensive and detailed. The author haswritten it not only from available records but also out of personal experience.She was a WAC staff officer, who, together with all the other WACs, found herselfin a man’s army that was somewhat shocked by the advent of a women’scorps in its midst.It is usual for both newcomer and old resident to have suspicions of eachother, but after the characteristic period of false starts prejudices disappear andconfidence is established. So it was with the WAC and the Army.This book stresses the misunderstanding, appropriately enough, since it affectedmany decisions reached at the policy-making level. The WAC did notalways understand the Army—its customs and traditions, its organization andnecessary chain of command. The Army did not always understand the WAC—its needs and temperament, and the many other things that man, being the son ofwoman, should have known but did not, much to his continued embarrassment.