Heffernan, Elizabeth (editor).

We Also Can Serve! June 1943 – June 1945 [Cover title].

N.P. AAFEC Reproduction Section, 1945. 10½” x 8½”. Stapled thin card wrappers. Pp. [130] + laid in short biography of prior owner along with her WAAC Service Medal. Good: Wrappers separated at spine and repaired with tape; textblock detached from wrappers.

This is a rare book created by the 6670th Headquarters Company of the Women's Army Corps (WAC). It documents their service during World War II and is packed with photographic images, biographical sketches and a history of the company's participation in the war.

In May 1941 Massachusetts Representative Edith Nourse Rogers introduced a bill that would establish a women’s corps in the United States Army. The bill became law in May 1942. While most WACs served stateside, a small percentage were sent to North Africa, Europe and Asia. They remained a separate unit of the United States Army until integration of male and female troops in 1978.

This book chronicles the history of the 6670th WAC company, from their formation in June 1943 at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts, to Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia and overseas in October. The women served in Casablanca and Algiers before spending 16 months in Naples, Italy, and returned to the United States in June 1945. The book has photographic portraits and biographical sketches of 116 different women from the 6670th , along with a great group shot of the entire company. One page was dedicated to Hangover, “one of the most popular dogs in the Command,” who“entered service November 1944.” There is an image of the women working on their company newspaper, as well as one of “Club 36 . . . a popular rendezvous in the 6670th . . . two volunteer bar tenders each night served hoards of customers.” The book features shots of WAC weddings and parties, their baseball and basketball teams and their bombed billet in April 1944. There are images of WACs getting fitted for uniforms, in mess line and at desk work, “WACs on Parade” and “WACs in Review.”

The book further includes 11 original poems by company members, one of which was a memorial to 1st Lieutenant Anne Hemphill, “our Executive Officer” who was killed in a plane crash in April 1945. Also of note are the 13 inscriptions from fellow servicewomen.

This copy was originally owned by Sergeant Bernice M. Robblee whose signature is on the first blank and whose WAAC Service Medal is also included. Robblee was originally from Southbridge, Massachusetts and enlisted in the WAAC in June 1943. She trained at Fort Devens as well as at Fort Oglethorpe where she joined the WAAC's glee club. She was then assigned to the 12th United States Army Air Corps where she was assigned to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in North Africa and Italy. The laid in biography mentioned that while in the MTO she started singing to soldiers “and her rendition of Ave Maria brought the crowds to their feet . . . A gifted soprano she was in frquent demand at the front lines, hospitals, Red Cross stations, church services, and other special service requests, most notably weddings. It was conservatively estimated that in 1½ years she entertained more than 20,000 soldiers.” Sur enough, we've located a contemporary newspaper account of Robblee singing Ave Maria and I Love You Truly at a military wedding in Italy.

A rare, detailed and heavily illustrated history of a company of World War II servicewomen overseas. OCLC shows one holding, at the United States Army War College. Good. Item #8760

Price: $1,150.00