Women Go to War, Too
With more than 3,000 members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in training at Fort Des Moines and one thousand members of the Women's Naval Reserve expected to take training in December at Iowa States Teachers college in Cedar Falls, Iowa is a hub of activity for women in the service of their country.
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Miss Myrne Donaldson, sister of Mrs. Eugene Tracy, 1302 Massachusetts avenue southeast, who enlisted in the WAVES and is at Oklahoma A and M, is at Stillwater, Okla., the school for yeoman. Her training will be completed in about three months after which she will be stationed at one of the naval bases in the country.
The WAVES differ form the WAACS in that they are actually in the navy, where as the WAACS are "with the army." Their privileges and restrictions are just the same as those of the men sailors and they are in the navy for the duration.
Nickname WAVES Is Not Liked
WAVES, and please don't call them that, they are in the navy, and not an auxiliary like the WAACs. According to Apprentice Seaman Myrne Donaldson, formerly of Mason City, the navy does not approve of the names "WAVES" and the trainees don't like it either.
The Mason Cityan is an apprentice seaman in training at Stillwater, Okla., and when she finishes her training course, she will be a yeoman, a petty officer rating, and will do the office work in navy bases and release men for active duty.
Apprentice Seaman Donaldson writes, "We live in a dorm, but we call it the ship. I live on the third deck. At six each morning except Sunday, we "hit the deck". Then we clean our rooms for daily inspection, brush our clothes, etc., until 7 o'clock. Breakfast at 7, drill at 8, and go to classes at 9. We have six hours of classes a day, four hours on navy subjects and two hours of typing. We have to be in our rooms at 1930 (7:30 to you) and study for two hours We can't leave the room for this two hours. At 2200 (10 o'clock) we go to bed.
The schedule is the same every day except Saturday and Sunday. We have tests on Saturday morning and we have liberty from Saturday noon until Sunday evening at 7:30
We have had another physical and taking shots for typhoid, tetanus and small pox.
"When we got here, we were given $200 for uniforms. After these wear out, we replace them ourselves. Our uniforms ar eh best looking women's uniforms I've seen."
Source: Globe-Gazette, Mason City IA - October 30, 1942 (photo included)
Mason City Has Contingent of Women in the Armed Service
Varied Jobs Performed in Services
Mason City has more than 100 women in the armed services according to the Globe-Gazette files. Largest enlistment of Mason Cityans is in the WAVES with more than 42 enrolled.
The nurses come next with 35 in the army and navy nurse corps and the WACs are 3rd with 18. Also in the service from Mason City are 4 SPARS and 5 members of the Marine Women's Reserve.
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A nautical wedding in which a Mason City WAVE and a Clear Lake sailor were the participants also took place in 1943 when Myrne Donaldson, petty officer 2/c and Seaman Darwin Monaghen were married at Charleston, S. Car., July 1.
Source: Globe-Gazette, Mason City IA - December 31, 1943
Former Girls Scouts Go to War
War Brings Out Work's Importance
Girl Scouts of Mason City together with almost a million girls are celebrating the 32nd birthday of Girl Scouting in the U.S. 12th year of organization in Mason City.
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With the nation at war many former Scouts are new serving with the women's branches of the armed forces and have testified as to the value of what they learned as children in the Scout troops. Outstanding examples in Mason City are Helen Lloyd Jones, Myrne Donaldson Monaghan and Anastasia Pappas.
Source: Globe-Gazette, Mason City IA - March 11, 1944 (photo included)
