Ten Sioux City Women Learn About Army in Waac Centers
Many Hope to See Service Abroad After Training
Other Waacs in training at Des Moines include Elva K. Davenport, Gladys R. Yeaman and Alfreda Zinser. Auxiliaries Kathryn M. Bolte and Irma L. Richardson are stationed at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and Auxiliary Hazel J. Hofstad is stationed with a Waac aircraft warning service company in Richmond, Virginia.
March was named “Waacruiting month” by Gov. Bourke B. Hickenlooper. The drive will be climaxed here on March 19 and 20, when the Waac recruiting team will visit the city to enlist new members.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, March 9, 1943
| Geneva Richardson | Lloyd Richardson | Irma Richardson | Melvin Richardson |
It’s the navy, three to one for the Glen Richardson family of this city (Webster City, IA), for one daughter and two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Richardson belong to various branches of the naval service while another daughter is a member of the women’s army corps.
Oldest in point of service of the quartet is Irma Richardson, a private first class who went into the WAC Jan. 5, 1943. Prior to going overseas with the signal service last March she was located at Fort Des Moines, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., Camp McCain, Miss., and Camp Crowder, Mo.
Geneva Richardson entered the WAVES July 15, 1943, training first at Hunter college, N. Y., and then at Atlanta, Ga.
Miss Richardson, a technical specialist, second class, has been a Link instructor for the past two years at Whiting Field, Fla.
Melvin Richardson, MM2c the third member of the family to go into uniform in 1943, joined the navy in October. He was first located at Camp Peary, Va.; then at Port Hueneme, Cal., before going to Pearl Harbor. He took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima and had been there with the Seabees until recently when, it is believed, he was transferred to China territory.
Lloyd Richardson, youngest of the quartet, entered the navy at Great Lakes, July 19 of this year and is still taking his boot training at that naval station.
Source: Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, August 17, 1945
Notes:
Irma Louise Richardson, 1920-1993, U.S. Army WAC, serving in the signal service. Married John A. Bracewell, an Army veteran of World War II.
Geneva Jean Richardson Hammel, 1923-2001, Navy WAVE, she was a Link instructor.
Melvin Lee Richardson, born 1925, U.S. Navy veteran, he served at Pearl Harbor and took part in the invasion of Iowa Jima with the Seabees.
Lloyd William Richardson, 1927-2014, U.S. Navy.
Irma Louise Richardson Bracewell was born May 19, 1920 to Glen L. and Guilia A. Cannon Richardson. She died Dec. 10, 1993 and is buried in Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth, KS.
Source: ancestry.com
