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Object Description
| Title | [Letter from Marcelle Fisher to her parents, 1942] |
| Date | 1942-11-27 |
| Item creator's name | Fischer, Marcelle K. |
| Subject headings |
World War, 1939-1945 United States. Army--Women |
| Era | World War II era (1940-1946) |
| Service branch |
Army--WAC Army--AAF |
| Item description | Fischer discusses learning how to code supplies, her Thanksgiving activities, applying for Officer Candidate School, the schedule of a typical day, and getting a weekend pass to come home, where she hopes to have her hair done. |
| Veteran's name | Fischer, Marcelle K. |
| Veteran's biography |
Marcelle K. Fischer served in the WAC from 1942-1945 . Marcelle K. Fischer of Skokie, Illinois, had already held several jobs, one with the Treasury Department in Washington, DC, when she decided to enlist in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942. She went to basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and then had advanced training in army administration at Drake University, also in Des Moines, where she prepared for duties in handling technical manuals and teaching office work to male soldiers. In early 1943 she was sent to Fort Custer, Michigan, then by fall of 1943 had moved to Rapid City Army Air Base in South Dakota. She was finally stationed at Ft. McPherson, Georgia, where she was discharged from the WAC in November 1945. After the war, Fischer went to work for the Railroad Retirement Board, until, in 1951, she decided to resume her college studies and enrolled in the Sorbonne in Paris, France. While in Europe, she began visiting flea markets, a hobby which eventually launched her into a career of dealing in antiques. |
| Place | Des Moines (Iowa) |
| Type | text |
| Original format | correspondence |
| Original publisher | [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] |
| Language | en |
| Contributing institution | Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries |
| Source collection | WV0253 Marcelle Fischer Papers, 1935-1961, 1990 |
| Collection summary | The Marcelle Fischer Papers primarily consists of correspondence, printed materials, photographs andArtifacts, most of which date from or pertain to Fischer's service in the WAAC and WAAC during World War II. Correspondence from Fischer includes discussion her duties teaching office work to male soldiers and general WAC life, such as barracks life, dating, social outings, her feelings regarding her contribution to the war effort, and her desire for advancement in the WAC. The correspondence also includes letters from male soldiers, both stateside and overseas, and correspondence from WAC friends such as Mildred Estabrook, who was stationed in Europe in 1945, and Ruth Tamayo, who primarily wrote about religious topics and mysteries while posted in Germany and Japan from 1950 to 1953. Printed Materials in this collection take many forms, primarily booklets, souvenirs, newspapers and newspaper clippings, event programs, certificates, and training manuals. Most of these are related to Fischer's duties in the WAC or collected by her during her time of service, and some can be found in the Oversize Series. Also included in this collection are a fewArtifacts, primarily uniform accessories, and a significant number of photographs of Fischer and her WAC friends. |
| Series/grouping | 1: Correspondence, 1935-1959 |
| Box | 1 |
| Folder | 1-6: Letters, 1935, 1939-1944 |
| Finding aid link | http://libapps.uncg.edu/archon/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=460 |
| Rights statement | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Additional rights information | IN COPYRIGHT. This item is subject to copyright. Contact the rights holder noted above for permission to reuse. |
| Object ID | WV0253.4.003 |
| Digital publisher | The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University Libraries, PO Box 26170, Greensboro NC 27402-6170, 336.334.5304 -- http://library.uncg.edu/ |
| Full-text transcript |
Dear Folks - " Here I am in a class of Fiscal accounting and as I have had some of the work I shall try and drop you a line. We are learning to code supplies - such as WDQMC484P111-08 A0502/23 - Imagine assigned code like that! Well, I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving, I would have called only I didn't want to reverse charges as payday isn't here yet. I bought 2 text books that have cost about 3 dollars, so I'm conserving what little I have. I got up at 6:30 Thanksgiving and washed all of my clothes while the water was hot, and then ironed it all before 11:30 - 3 shirts, 10 hankies, pajamas, 5 pr pants, girdle, and stockings - this is one of the few times I have to maintain myself. It had snowed the day before so we had a grand day - white, cold but sunshiny. We had a grand dinner, turkey and all the trimmings. After dinner I went out to the post to see my old commander who is leaving for Texas - then some of the old girls left here in Des Moines - (3 of us) went to the show and supper and then home to bed. By the way what do you think of me trying for O.C. school? It will be very hard work - harder than now, but I guess I will try. It entails a lot of red tape and recommendations. By the way - If at all possible I shall come home on a weekend pass - (if you would like to have me." This Sat. I shall have my last shot for another 3 weeks and I doubt whether I shall get home for Xmas in fact I expect by that time to be sent on active duty most anywhere so I though it would be nice if I saw you before I left. So if all goes good I shall arrive in Chgo. on Dec. Fri 4th at about 11 or 12 PM and will then have to leave Sun. What do you think? If I do get a pass I would like to get a permanent do you suppose I could get that done too. I would also have to go downtown for some recommendations. If I go for O.C. School. Guess my life from now on is to be a merry go round. - let me know what you think? If you approve maybe Ike could call Eileen and see if she could fix my hair - or else Clara Noeson. Eileen lives on North Shore line - 2603 I think and the name is John Zahnen. I hope everyone is well and Darlene and Carol is [sic] better. Tell Francis I wish him lots of luck and hope he enjoys his navy career as much as I like mine. Well the day is going by and this letter is probably very disconnected as I have to take up where I left off, every rest period. This is approximately our day - Up at 6 - to dress and get ready for the day; 6:30 Revielle [sic] then in to make our beds and fix around our beds - shoes and trunks. Breakfast at 7-7:30. Then cleaning of barracks, latrines outside duty etc. 8 - fall in for class - 8:05 Procurement and fiscal actg. - 8:50 Administration till 10:40 - 10:40-11:40 Close Order Drill - then we march back to barracks and recieve [sic] orders - dinner at 12 - then mall - 12:50 - Class on Army Regulations, 1:45 - Supply 8, 9 till 3:40 - 3:45-4:30 Administration - then back to the barracks - then mail call and maybe squad meetings or some special detail - Supper - 5 - then another Study period from 6-7, then tonight we have special athletic class till 8 - so you can see I am busy. Then in your spare time you clean for inspections. Well I must close so I can go to the store after school and buy some more notebook paper and lead. Write soon and let me know what you think I should do - Love," Marcelle |
| OCLC number | 900816681 |
