Iowa
Old Press
The Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Polk co. Iowa
Sunday, December 5, 1943
70 Pct. Of Iowa WACs From Fighting Families
A survey of approximately 70 per cent of the total Iowa
WAC enlistment reveals its close integration with the war effort
through service of members overseas and in this county, and
through other members of their families.
Maj. Mary S. Bell, former dean of women at Coe College, Cedar
Rapids, and now head of the WAC section of the seventh service
command, Omaha, Neb., is believed to be the highest ranking Iowa
WAC.
IN AFRICA
Two Iowa women, Sergt. Joyce Stephens Smith, Des Moines,
and Corp. Miriam Stehlik Drahos, Cedar Rapids, were included in
the first group of WACs sent to North Africa a year ago. Sergeant
Smith, whose father was a Spanish-American war veteran, is a
message decoder in North Africa. She has two brothers and a
sister in various branches of service. Corporal Drahos is one of
the first WACs to be honorably discharged because of injury
received in foreign service.
FORMER TEACHERS
Three enlistees of June, all former school teachers,
were on foreign duty by the close of the summer. They were Pvt.
Iva Boda, of Sheldahl, now in England, and Pvt. Margaret Casey,
of Lawler and Pvt. Helen Farstrup of Exira, both in North Africa.
The remainder of the 18 Iowa WACs known to be serving
overseas follows:
Corp. Margaret A. Andrew, Colo, Iowa, on duty with the American
air force in England. She has two brothers in the army.
Pvt. Mary E. Dickinson, 2141 ½ High st., “somewhere in
England.” Her brother is in the naval reserve and her sister
is a WAVE.
Pvt. Helen A. Foote, Anamosa, a former school teacher, is now
clerking in an army office in England.
Pvt. (f.c.) Florence O. Hastings, Plainfield, Ia, in England
since last July was transferred recently to the headquarters of
the 8th Fighting Command. The type of work she does is not made
public and required special training at an R.A.F. training
station. Her mother recently received a letter of commendation of
her work from Pvt. Hasting’s company commander.
Pvt. Dorothy E. Sims, Davenport, is a clerk in an army judge
advocate’s office in England. Her brother is with the army
air forces at Hamilton Field, Cal.
Corp. Agnes West, Onawa, is the only WAC and the only American
assigned to her English office. Her brother is in the South
Pacific. She formerly was employed in the department of
education.
Pvt. Jean Goddard Stamp, Iowa City, is engaged in statistical
work in North Africa. Her brother is in service.
The following Iowa WACs have an army postoffice address,
indicating overseas service, but their exact station is not
known:
Pvt. Rachel L. Keil, Marengo, is serving with a WAC
communications unit. One brother is in the navy and another an
aviation cadet.
Pvt. Lena M. Shafar, Waukee, enlisted last May. She is a
commercial college graduate and was employed by Sears, Roebuck
Co.
Pvt. Marlys D. Voege, Gladbrooke, is assigned to an ordnance
section.
Pvt. Betty J. Vosika, Carroll, is on foreign duty with a WAC
communications company.
Pvt. Verna R. Wanken, Clarion, also is serving with the WAC
communications company. Her brother is in the Army.
Corp. Iona M. Wellendorf, Schleswig, is also with the group of
secret location and duties WACs. She is a former newspaper woman.
Secrecy covering overseas shipment makes it impossible to
determine if additional Iowans have gone on foreign duty since
early fall.
WIVES OF FIGHTERS
The survey disclosed that 24 Iowa WACs are the wives of
men in service. A large number of WACs have a least three
brothers in service. More than half the number of the Iowa women
have at least one member of their immediate family, husband,
brother, parents, sister, or children, serving in some capacity.
In a few cases, more than one woman of the family has “joined
up.”
A 100 per cent war service family is that of the Earl Heers,
Cedar Falls. The five members are: Pvt. Bessie E. Heer, the
mother, and Corp. Evelyn V. Heer, the daughter, in the WAC; Pvt.
(f.c.) Earl O. Heer, the father, overseas; Pvt. Robert S. Heer, a
Japanese prisoner; and James Heer, in the navy. Her brother, John
W. Murray, reported missing in the battle of the Java sea and
with two other brothers in the army, Pvt. (f.c.) Louise Murray,
1233 ½ Twenty-ninth st. was the last child in her family to
enter service. Her mother took a course in parachute making to
prepare for defense work.
Among the Iowa WACs serving with their husbands are:
Pvt. Myrtle Bohall, 916 S.E. Twenty-eighth st., who also has two
brothers in service.
Pvt. Lorraine F. Cunningham, 1174 Eleventh st., has a husband and
a brother-in-law overseas.
Sergt. Jean Daubert, Ames, is the wife of Maj. Herbert Daubert.
She is at Randolph Field, San Antonio, Tex.
Corp. Ivy Hunt Sears lived at 4013 E. Twenty-ninth st. Her
husband has similar rank in the army. Her brother is in the navy.
Pvt. Edna A. Wilson, Clarksville, was the first enlistee in the
Waterloo recruiting district to sign for the All-Iowa state WAC
company. Her husband, Leland C. Wilson, is in North Africa.
Corp. Marie E. Witt, McGregor, has two brothers and her husband
overseas. Her husband is with the medical corps in Italy and her
brothers are in Pacific waters with the navy.
There are four members of the Reed family of Pleasanton serving
their country. Second Lieut. Helen M. Reed left school teaching
to become a WAC. One brother is with the marines overseas;
another is stationed in this country; and a third received the
Order of the Purple Heart for wounds in Tunisia.
With two brothers with the forces in Italy and another training
here, Pvt. Eleanor L. Stevens keeps up with the patriotism of her
family. Her home is at Waterloo.
Four children of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Stock, Davenport, are in
service. Pvt. (f.c.) Dolores Stock is a WAC. Two brothers joined
the navy; the other is in the army.
Pvt. (f.c.) Evelyn Kirkman, 2509 E. Elm st., has a sister wearing
the blue of the WAVES.
[transcribed by L.Z., November 2017]