In 1942, when the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) [and later became the Women’s Army Corps (WAC)] was formed, it was announced that up to 10 percent of the women’s force could be made up of Black women. The Navy did not accept Black women into its women’s auxiliary corps (WAVES) until 1945 and then took only 72 Black enlisted women and two Black officers. The European Theater of Operations was the only overseas theater to request and utilize Black WAC’s.

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