Women get their chance to serve

The June 1943 Signal Corps Information Letter listed out the requirements for the Fort Monmouth contingency of Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps members, which included four officers and 344 auxiliaries, comprising the 167th and 168th WAAC Post Headquarters Company, with the suggestion that the name would be changed to “Fort Monmouth WAAC Detachment.” 1943 was a transition year for the service. In 1942, Congress and the President had approved the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps. WAAC was established "for the purpose of making available to the national defense the knowledge, skill, and special training of women of the nation." President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation on July 1, 1943, which changed the name of the Corps to the Women's Army Corps, dropping the “auxiliary” and made it part of the Army of the United States. This gave women all of the rank, privileges, and benefits of their male counterparts.

The Signal Corps focus was on recruiting specialists that would free men for combat positions. Originally designated as the WIRES, or Women in Radio and Electrical Service program, the original request for the program included 1080 women across the Signal Corps, to be trained as radio operators, radio repairpersons, teletypewriter operators, and switchboard installers.

The first group of auxiliaries to report to the Signal Center was comprised of four code clerks. They arrived at a time when the morale of the entire Signal Center was at an extremely low ebb, due mainly to the pressure of work, and the fact that the personnel on duty were becoming discouraged. When the uniformed auxiliaries walked in, they were immediately assigned to their duties, with a few brief instructions given to them regarding the work they were to do and the part the Signal Center played in the war effort. The women took off their hats and sat down, tackling their machine with that well-known determination to “Get the Message Through.”

As the officers told, within an hour after the arrival of the WAACs, a subtle change took place in the organization. The completed work was beginning to stack up beside the WAACs. They were serious about the whole thing and were evidently doing their level best - and it was good. Gradually the output of the other employees began to rise, not willing to be outdone by the newcomers. And by the end of the day, the records showed an amazing increase in production. From that day on, there was a steady improvement in both morale and efficiency in the War Department Signal Center, and a friendly camaraderie between the WAACs and the regular personnel of that organization exists. The officers of the Signal Center say that they had to hand it to the WAACs!

The contingency of 325 WAACs began arriving at Fort Monmouth in May 1943, designated as the WAAC Detachment, Eastern Signal Corps Training Center. The duties were assigned as follows: 94 in Administration of the 15th Signal Battalion, 67 in the 803d Signal Battalion, 69 in the Post Quartermaster, 19 in the Station Hospital, 15 in Special Services, 5 as Chaplains' Assistants, 6 in the Photographic Laboratory, 2 in the Post Exchange, 6 in the Post Headquarters, 9 in the School Headquarters, 1 in the Training Center Headquarters, 8 in the Motor Pool, and 24 as overhead. Regardless of position, the WAACS served a valuable role in the Army and at Fort Monmouth.