WWII's Forgotten, Fightin' Ladies
Desiree Bullard
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: News
As part of Cumberland Goes to War, ten days of events organized to commemorate those who dedicated themselves to the cause during World War II, Janet Sims-Woods presented "Fighting for Freedom: Black Women's Army Corps During World War II." Sponsored by the Maryland Humanities Council, this presentation was free of charge and open to the public. It was held last Tuesday at Windsor Hall in Downtown Cumberland.
For many years, Sims-Woods devoted her time and effort in the pursuit of collecting stories from black women who served in WWII so their stories would not be forgotten. As important as it was to document these stories, Sims-Woods felt it was equally important to encourage her interviewees to share their stories with the public themselves. "I can tell your story, I'm a pretty good oral historian, but no one can tell your story like you can…I wanted the public to see them so that they would know that these women actually participated and what they did," said Sims-Woods.
Sims-Woods' search for information discovered several women who had served in WWII, including the first group's commander, Charity Adams. Sims-Woods listened to the stories, and of the several women she interviewed found only had serious difficulty with her WWII memories. Others were sometimes hesitant to talk about their experiences, often having kept them hidden for many years. After becoming comfortable with Sims-Woods, the women told stories of the forty women who volunteered for the first training group, and the thirty-six who graduated. The women with children gave custody of their young ones to relatives or close friends before shipping off for training in Iowa or Arizona.
During WWII new legislation made it possible for black women to join the army. This did not mean, however, that they would have the opportunity to serve overseas. The women enlisted and were trained in specialized fields, but the vast majority remained stateside. Only one group was permitted to serve overseas. During the presentation, Sims-Woods displayed a picture of the 6888, "this was the only group of black women in the Army that went overseas during WWII…No commander would call for them so they were not allowed to go overseas," said Sims-Woods. After the Battle of the Bulge, the circulation of mail ceased, forcing the military to call for a Postal Directory Unit: the first group from the Black Women's Army Corps. They were delegated the task of organizing and shipping the mail, which they completed sooner than was expected.
On base, the black women were subjected to segregation and ill-treatment. In addition to the racial circumstances, these ladies also faced gender discrimination. At the time women in the military were frowned upon. "If you were a woman period, going into the military there were negative connotations that you were either a whore or you were a lesbian," said Sims-Woods.
Though demoralizing challenges paved the road for the black women in the military during WWII, each volunteered to join. The quest for equality compelled these women to prove their worth as hard working American citizens. While at the time it may not have seemed as though their attempts advanced the cause, without such effort from individual groups like these women, civil rights may never have been accomplished.
For many years, Sims-Woods devoted her time and effort in the pursuit of collecting stories from black women who served in WWII so their stories would not be forgotten. As important as it was to document these stories, Sims-Woods felt it was equally important to encourage her interviewees to share their stories with the public themselves. "I can tell your story, I'm a pretty good oral historian, but no one can tell your story like you can…I wanted the public to see them so that they would know that these women actually participated and what they did," said Sims-Woods.
Sims-Woods' search for information discovered several women who had served in WWII, including the first group's commander, Charity Adams. Sims-Woods listened to the stories, and of the several women she interviewed found only had serious difficulty with her WWII memories. Others were sometimes hesitant to talk about their experiences, often having kept them hidden for many years. After becoming comfortable with Sims-Woods, the women told stories of the forty women who volunteered for the first training group, and the thirty-six who graduated. The women with children gave custody of their young ones to relatives or close friends before shipping off for training in Iowa or Arizona.
During WWII new legislation made it possible for black women to join the army. This did not mean, however, that they would have the opportunity to serve overseas. The women enlisted and were trained in specialized fields, but the vast majority remained stateside. Only one group was permitted to serve overseas. During the presentation, Sims-Woods displayed a picture of the 6888, "this was the only group of black women in the Army that went overseas during WWII…No commander would call for them so they were not allowed to go overseas," said Sims-Woods. After the Battle of the Bulge, the circulation of mail ceased, forcing the military to call for a Postal Directory Unit: the first group from the Black Women's Army Corps. They were delegated the task of organizing and shipping the mail, which they completed sooner than was expected.
On base, the black women were subjected to segregation and ill-treatment. In addition to the racial circumstances, these ladies also faced gender discrimination. At the time women in the military were frowned upon. "If you were a woman period, going into the military there were negative connotations that you were either a whore or you were a lesbian," said Sims-Woods.
Though demoralizing challenges paved the road for the black women in the military during WWII, each volunteered to join. The quest for equality compelled these women to prove their worth as hard working American citizens. While at the time it may not have seemed as though their attempts advanced the cause, without such effort from individual groups like these women, civil rights may never have been accomplished.
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