Wears colonel's eagle insignia

              Register







Des Moines, Iowa







TAY, JULY 20, 194ts







S   MOINEi







WEARS COLONEL'S EAGLE INSIGNIA-







300 Gather Here to See Mrs. Hobby







BARRACKS OPEN, WOMEN UNPACK







It's 'Back to School' for War Work.







By Elise Shane.







The barracks at Fort Des Moines were opened Sunday afternoon for 64 attractive women,, all members of the women's army auxiliary corps.







The occasion was one of "back to school" for these representatives of the country's first women's army, but they will receive lessons in aircraft detection, milr tary courtesy and map work instead of sociology, English or history.







Women in their best silk and cotton housecoats wandered from the top floor dormitory rooms to the basement bathroom. They carried rubber bathing caps for their showers.







Suitcases Unpacked.







Dabs of powder were noticeable on the shelf above the wash bowls, as were empty tubes of toothpaste and empty packages of cigarets. But workmen were setting up ash cans, of 32-gallon capacity each, which the women will use as waste-baskets.







In the dormitories women unpacked suitcases and filled their wall and trunk lockers with personal belongings. No one seemed to have brought too many clothes. Trunk lockers were packed neatly enough to pass inspection.







One typical tray in a trunk locker at the foot of a WAAC member's bed contained cigarets, hand mirror, face creams^ soap, two decks of playing cards, a bridge score pad, shoe shine kit, clothes brush, cleansing tissue and two pictures of a man in uniform.







Another trunk locker contained a worn leather Bible.







When the women are off the post they may wear civilian clothes; therefore, many lockers contained bright cotton and silk dresses and pretty shoes.







In the laundry room the drying racks were loaded with brassieres, panties, blouses, and stockings.







One woman was pressing a dress. In a few days she will be pressing a uniform.







o   o    o







As the WAACs waited for fittings, they became acquainted with each other. Each discussed such things as her former job, how thrilled she was by her new war work, how much her hair grows each month, or the fit of her new brown WAAC oxfords.







AH of the women moved carefully while being fitted. They didn't want to get wrinkles in their new clothes.







o   *    o







The first and probably the only







sister enrollees in the WAAC were among the first arrivals. They are Edith M. Toffaletti, 27, and her sister, Lillian, 25, both of Port Tampa City, Fla.







o   * o School starts today. Although   hundreds   of    the







vvAACs will arrive today, classes in orientation will be held a 11 morning. A lecture by company I commanders on military customs' and   courtesy  is  scheduled.







This will be a typical day in the training of a WAAC officer candidate:







She will arise at 5:45 a. m. and go to reveille and march at 6 a. m. Assembly will be at 6:05 a. m. and mess call at 6:35. She will step lively.







Sick call comes at 7 a. m. At this time women who do not feel well may report for examination.







One officer said he wondered how many women would "gold brick" (shirk duty) by pretendingt they were ill. He was joking, however.







Heavy Class Work.







From 7:30 to 11-.45 a. m. classes will be held in close order. These will involve drill (practical work), physical training, aircraft identification,^ use of civilian and military maps and practice in the use of gas masks.







Aircraft identification will be taught through the use of sound films, shadows on the walls and ceilings,  and outlines.







In gas mask practice, one officer said there would be no gas chamber.







Another officer, however, said the school may use a tear gas chamber.







Afternoon Program.







Mess call will be 12:45 p. m. School and drill call will follow at 1 p. m. and assembly at 1:10 p. m.







Lectures and practical work on methods of training, leadership, organization of the army and WAAC and close order drill are planned for 1:10 to 4:15 p. m.







Retreat call will be at 4:50 p. m. and mess call immediately after retreat signal.







Study period is set from 7 t< 9 p. m. when "Tatoo" is listei on the schedule.







"Tatoo comes from an old Dutch term (tap toe) meaning turn off the tap-no more beer tonight," explained an officer.







For the army and WAAC, however, it means that the barracks must be quiet, and that the day's work is done, he said.







Call to quarters will be at 10:45 d. m. with taps at 11 p. m.







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