Serving in the military is a tremendous honor. As a servicemember you have the opportunity to effect social and political change all over the world.
For example, African American men and women continued to serve in all major wars despite vicious racism and segregation in the service. And as a result of these brave veterans' perseverance and sacrifice the military - and eventually the United States - recognized the contributions of all of its servicemembers.
Veterans History Project
Here's the story of a brave African American veteran, Violet Hill Gordon. In an interview with the Veterans History Project, Gordon talks about how serving in the Women's Army Corp in World War II gave her a sense of purpose, despite the discrimination she had to endure.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
Mrs. Gordon, would you state for the record what branch of the service you served in?
GORDON:
I served in the Women's Army Corps, which originally was the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
In what war did you serve?
GORDON:
World War II.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
And your rank?
GORDON:
I was discharged as a Captain. I entered the training for the Officer Candidate class, the first one for women. That meant that I began as an enlisted person for training. At the end of the training period, which was, I believe six weeks; I earned the rank of what was then called, "The Second Commanding Officer."
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
Where did you serve during your enlistment?
GORDON:
My Officer Candidate Training took place in Ft. Des Moines, Iowa. At the completion of that I was assigned to Ft. Huachuca, Ariz. where the first detachment of Black women were sent. There I served as the Second Commanding Officer. In other words, I was the Executive Officer. I served in that capacity until I was transferred to ... Ft. Lewis, Wash.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
Why did you join?
GORDON:
Well, I joined because my best friend, Mildred Osby, appeared at my house one day, all excited because she had either received information or had learned that there was going to be ... a Women's Army Corps. She wanted very much to be part of it. And, as we were very close friends she thought it would be wonderful if I also was interested and would do so.
At that time I was working in State Civil Service; I was supervising a stenographic pool. I was not bored, but restless - kind of stuck, I guess. But I wasn't that excited about entering into anything that sounded as regimented as the Army. So I didn't pick up on it initially. She kept after me, and after me, and I finally said, "Well, OK." That OK involved filling out a detailed application, and then taking a series of examinations which included physical, aptitude tests, psychological tests. I think those were the three broad categories. [To be selected] you had to pass those steps before you went for the final step, which was the interview.
Those steps determined whether or not you were considered material for Officer Candidate Training. Of course ... this was such a bold step in a way. One has to remember that at that time the Army was segregated and ... there were nurses but there were no enlisted or women officers as an official part of the Army. Of course, this would not be officially a part of the Army; it would be an Auxiliary branch of the Army. There were pros and cons, but eventually I did give in and apply.
They were looking for ... 40 Negro women who would then form the officer corps that would train the subsequent enlisted women who came into the service. Their standards, their expectations, and their hopes were high. They wanted 40 professional women. I think that the minimum age was 18, and of course they preferred women who had not only the education background but also some maturity and work experience, which would be an asset in embarking on an endeavor that was experimental and had a lot riding on it.
So, as I started to say, I really didn't expect to be selected, but in the end I was, along with my friend. She was selected first and I think they must have gotten almost to the end of their group of women because they never did reach the 40 mark. I think that they had 38 or 39. I don't know if I was the 38th or 39th, but that is how it all began.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
So then you were inducted.
GORDON:
Yes, I didn't know at that time, but there were four of us who were inducted from the Chicago area. There were more than four women selected from the Chicago area, but when I say four I am referring to four Negro women who were selected. I knew of one and she is the one that I trained with — my first assignment was as 2nd Officer under her. When we moved to Ft. Lewis I moved with the unit and was also second in Command in that unit.
The induction consisted of the Army officer. We had to report and we were sworn in and then officially [made] members of the Women's Army Auxiliary ... I guess the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps is the way it went.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
These are all African American women?
GORDON:
Right. You have to remember that this was all before Truman truly desegregated the services.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
It was worth the effort?
GORDON:
Yes.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
After Officer Training School you moved on?
GORDON:
After we had successfully met the requirements and received gold bars, indicating that we were what within the Army was called second lieutenants and in the Auxiliary was second commanding officer. And, they gave us a furlough, [laughing] which meant that we could go home for 10 days, show off these uniforms, be admired, and taken care of by all of our families and await our orders. So, that was the reward for that training period. Then we received orders to report back. We must have reported back to Ft. Des Moines and from there the company was formed: The 32nd Company.
There were two companies that were sent out to Ft. Huachuca, the 32nd and the 33rd with a commanding officer and two additional officers (the commanding officer and one to serve as executive or administrative officer and the third the supply officer). So, there were six officers, two companies of women - I'm trying to think of the exact number of women in each company [pause] it must have been between 150 and 200 women. Ft. Huachuca is an old camp like Ft. Des Moines, an old, established fort. Just as we were being sent out to Huachuca, military regiments of men were being sent there also; the Ninety Second Division was stationed there. Ft. Huachuca is near [pause] I'm trying to remember? Phoenix? I'm trying to think of the other large city. It is in that area. The memorable thing about that dispachment, being sent to Ft. Huachuca, was really the arrival! I don't think I'll ever forget that.
As the troop train took us to the boundaries of the camp. Of course the male units that were already there knew that we were coming. There was a lot of controversy about women in the Service? a lot of rumors, most of them not really very complimentary. The curiosity, of course impelled as many of the enlisted men that were available and free to view this arrival; to come out and meet this so called "Women's Army". It was a little frightening in one sense in that we were like engulfed and surrounded by all these men. But fortunately, the Army is usually prepared for most things, so the enlisted male units were not there without officers who made sure that some kind of decorum and order was maintained. As we embarked from the train and the companies were formed, we then marched the units into our quarters. They had set up a whole area for the women so that we had our own headquarters building, our own barracks, officer's quarters, mess hall, and the whole shebang. We were really a self-sustained unit and that is the way we operated for the period of time that we were there.
A certain portion of the women [were] being assigned for training. You had to have cooks, you had to have pastry chefs, and you had to have motor pool people and all of that. So the initial phase was to see that our women were trained to take over. The basic idea in all of this is that women were to replace and release the male soldiers so that they could be sent overseas or dispatched someplace else. Our initial stay at Huachuca really involved a training period for the women in the various areas that were needed to function properly.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
Were you awarded any medals or special citations during your time?
GORDON:
The citations that I have are the ones that were given I think to us in general for service in the American Theater and the European Theater. I know it is on my discharge paper. I have to confess that I really do not know where they are. [laughing] There is a discharge/service award for everyone who fulfilled their assignment. I did nothing that warranted any kind of special badge or award.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
You spoke about morale; I know that family is a big part of that. How did you stay in touch with your family?
GORDON:
Primarily through letters, rather than telephone calls. Now … we use the telephone more than we use the pen. Then it was basically pen. It never became dull. There was always some adventure around the corner.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
What was your motivation for choosing the Army rather than the Navy?
GORDON:
At that time ... the Army was the first. The WACs were first and I think that the Marine Corps may have been next, then the Navy.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
What would you say was the most stressful aspect of war?
GORDON:
We were in England, then we moved from England to Rouen, France. When we were in Rouen, I just recall that it was - the area in which we were housed was an old, not a castle, it was more like a fort. It was a larger area surrounded by an eight-footwall. The German prisoners of war were housed in one part and they were the ones who worked on the grounds and all of that. The part that was difficult was that it was cold! It was winter, so you expect it to be cold, but the heating was inadequate, the hot water was insufficient, the barracks were cold. We were working like around the clock - three shifts - because we were handling mail that had been piled up waiting for this Postal Unit to come and handle this mail. It was like a factory, which was all right except that if we could have been more comfortable. It was just … I can almost feel that dampness and dankness of the whole thing. There it was a physical thing.
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT:
Did you keep a diary at all?
GORDON:
No, I am not a diary person at all. About four years ago one of the officers that I served with, the head of our unit of the whole 6888th Battalion? the officer was Charity Adams, who just died about a month ago. Her second in command of the Battalion was Campbell, Noel Abby Campbell. We had trained together in Ft. Des Moines, the tree of us. She was from Tuskegee, and Tuskegee was one of the schools - one of the Black universities - historic universities that I had never seen. I had never seen the campus. A friend's granddaughter was graduating so I went to Tuskegee to her graduation. Campbell, the second in command of the Battalion, Tuskegee was her home; she was born and grew up there. We arranged to meet at that time. I'm trying to think now, why did I start on that? You asked me about a diary. She said that when she was discharged from the service and returned home (her brother had also served in the Army) her father said, "Sit down and write your experiences from the beginning to the end!" which she did.
I don't know why she didn't publish them because Charity Adams who was the highest ranking did; she published hers in a book. Abby said that she was so grateful to her father for insisting that she do that. There were several who did memoirs. I regret it now that I look back on it, but just as there were several in our class and many among the enlisted who decided to stay in the service and completed tours of duty, like 15 and 20 years. It never occurred to me. I saw the whole experience as - it was an experience within a period of time which provided invaluable, invaluable opportunities: My first plane ride, first ride in a Pullman car, my first across from coast to coast, those kinds of things. I am very grateful, very appreciative, but I had no desire whatsoever; I wanted to move on to the next phase.
As you celebrate Veterans Day, take time to thank any servicemembers you know that have selflessly served our country.
