Negro WACS at air-base perform important jobs

Jounal Siot» City, low* APR Negro Wacs at Air Base Perform Important Jobs] Kepi *"" llenjWho Ar ¦ tath'Army re Thus Released for Duty Combat Forces BY LOUISE FLTNX PARACHUTE riggers, radio operators, eleiks, medical technician*. airplane mechanics. photographers—those are only a few ol the clarifications o[ the newest army unit to be added to the per-! •onncl it the Sioux City arm? air bare, a company of khaki clad women soldiers who have quickly and efficiently taken over a wide variety of duties. These soldier*, coming from all parla of the United Statei. especially the eastern seaboard slates, are member* of the first Metro Wac company in the army air lorce. and of the second largest group of Wacs in the Second air force.___________________________ Trained by the army for many*" Vital war Jobs, more than half of the Negro Wac company are college women. Their average age la 2* and their average intelligence teat Is from 10* to 109. More than ©ne-fouith of the group rate over 110. the mark required for officers' training. A large number of the Wac* are ex-iehool teachers or were formcily in government work. Cocnmandinj graduated January 9. IMS, Both * utenants are former recruiting First sergeant of the company Minnie B. Gay. a Graduate of Temple university whoi* huiband woman who have taken over the V* edi,or ot lnp Philadelphia Tub. Wac battacka at the air base U rul,c-Firit Lieut. Elirabeth llamplop I Officer Typical of the type of young I the fltldhouie with Corporal Mary Rodrigues of Alabama as inslruc- "Al lime*," *a:d Lieut. Hampton, ¦ -like Other soldier., the girls IDm ,o iust plain relax. They have long oa,r»nd Uk. their work sen-ously." The Rat Chorus Private Hi* Claw Beula Fant of Denver is director of -Wac chorus which sang over a rsrtio^ inetwork from Sail Lake Cily white the girls were at Wor.dover field. Soloists with the chorus include Sergeant Ruth WiW of lohto, who formerly sang with puke Ellington. The chorus is ex-ipccled io sing at chapel services at the Sioux Cily base. Classes In current events and .Negro history we popular among March 7, several weeks before the company was transferred to Sioux Cily. Lifut Scott attended Howard university at Washington for three and a half year*, and re- .„„.„ „,™r» -.« *-.,«..-• -...^... ceived her gold bars in the firslj Une Wan, said Lieut. Hampton, class from the rank* which _was |J)>ini dances arc being arranged ___ _ _ _ _ rranged *Uh Unit C at the air base. "The Wacs like to meet the sol-IdiCr*. of eourse, bui they enjoy neeling civiu'an family groups u. ivell," said the lieutenant, and the girl* hope to be able to ar-. grange a coffee hour and dance* in 1 commanding officer of the company, whose home i* in Lot Angeles. Lieut. Hampton was a member of the first officers' candidate school to be graduated at Fori Do Moines. August 19, 194!. Before entering th- army, >he was a casework supervisor for Los An- . -- -—•- —.-*— — -,-- gelea county. A graduate of Ihe arc in base personnel, out they Activated at Walla Valla, Wttb , Irom Waci trained at Fort Oe* Moines and Fort Dcveni, Mass.. the company was transferred from \V*U» Walla to Wendover field. Utah, and then lo Sioux Cily. Variety of Duties A large majority of ihe girl* University of California where *he received an A. B. degree in sociology, Lieut. Hampton a it ended Chapman university and took graduate work at the University of Southern California. Owner of a hearty laugh and a blight twinkle In her black eyes thai betray a deep renre of humor, Lieut. Hampton i> extremely proud of her company and greatly Interested in the welfare and advancement of the Individual girts. Second In Command She ii particularly pleased over ihe fact that the company adju-!ant. Lieut. Blanche L. Scott of Washington, received a promotion trosa second lo first lieutenant. 'alio are In operations, ad]utanl| section, post office, courts ai board*, public relation-. lUttothau special icivices, medical detachment, ordnance, air inspection,| photography, quartermaster sup-1 the day room to which they Invite civilian friends." Chaplains at the base testify that the Wacs arc good churchgoer*, both Protestant and Catholic. Ban »»n Beauty Parlor "In spile of the uniform, our Waea are still women." laughed Ueut. Hampton In describing how the girls delight in shopping. The fact that they arc typical women also is evidenced by the fact thai the Wac* have Ihtil own beauty parlor at the base, operated by two of their own number. All equipment i* owned by the IWacs who made the purchases Id Walla Walla. Upswept hair styles m-chme work, in the hospital a.- ,,p >t;0|l ,n „v)„ very becom- laboratory technleans and »'ard .. ,„,;.. i. «fid.l Wir lal worker, and in the dental division *' "£"**, J£ U Mk dental technician,. One girl , A double "«Pomlbmty to fel works a. a chaplain's assistant fnd j? *" «"" 8*J ''r™^ '* ° another is a qualified airplane en- ft* *T **" C?T£i; rX ¦baa mechanic. pi""1"1 f""- H*"!**- h«V? £ In their spare Umft .he Wc. ** *» Wt to -*•- " *"* ** ""- ¦- -ecreaUon,_the most popu- 1 ior the army and theWac. she