Artifact of the Month
The Women's Army Corps (WAC) Transportation Poster
WACs in formation.
An image of a WAC looking directly at the camera.
This poster was created in 1942 in an effort to recruit women into the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was initially created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942, and converted to an active duty status in the Army as the WAC on 1 July 1943.
While conservative opinion in the leadership of the Army and public opinion generally was initially opposed to women serving in uniform, the shortage of men necessitated a new policy. The WACs would be used to fill safe positions in the rear areas which would free up men for duty on the front lines. The Transportation Corps used many WAC units in the United States for the port operations mentioned on the poster. While most women served stateside, some went to various places around the world, including Europe, North Africa, and New Guinea. The 150,000 women who served released the equivalent of 7 divisions of men for combat.