In the midst of World War II, with American casualties mounting, the need for more Army manpower was evident. But where to find the extra personnel when so many young men were already enlisted? The answer was to recruit women.
Beginning on July 1st, 1943, President Roosevelt designated the Women’s Army Corps as part of the U.S. Army. There were active campaigns to convince women between the ages of twenty and fifty to serve. In Wyoming, the first year’s goal was to enlist 126 women. The women, known as WACs, were needed for jobs as varied as truck drivers, switchboard operators, and cryptanalysts.
While the American public resisted the idea of women in the Army at first, the patriotic campaign was ultimately successful. More than 150,000 women served as WACs both at home and abroad.
Read the Lester C. Hunt papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more about the important role played by women in World War II.