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Object Description
| Title | [Letter from Marcelle Fisher to her parents, 1944] |
| Date | 1944-01-09 |
| 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 a troop reduction on base which is keeping her busy busy, Christmas dinner in the mess hall, New Year's Eve activities, and her hope of attending Administrative Inspector's school in Florida. She enjoys her job, and has a reputation on the base as an excellent worker. |
| 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. |
| 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 | WV0253.4.015 |
| 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 Mom and Pop: I suppose you think I'm lazy or something, but really I can say I've had so little time I've not written one letter for weeks. Our whole office has been shipped out with the exception of Margaret and I - even Sgt. Mohl is gone. I'm the only one that knows the office work so you can imagine how busy I've been. From a force of 15 inspectors in two weeks it has gone down to two - and those are new boys that know much less about tech orders and planes than I do. Even Christmas day I worked all day - I'm enclosing a picture taken of Mildred and myself decorating the Consolidated Mess hall - when we finished there we went to our mess hall - finished decorating it - and then fixed dinner for our party. I got the cookies and they were delicious. I did have a lovely Xmas. I got lots of gifts at least five bottles of cologne, hankies and a big bottle of Tabu perfume from Ronnie. The defenders counsel sent me a can of bath powder. The Holy Name sent me a rosary (black) and little book about how to pray [with] it- Eleanor sent me a box of food - a delicious fruit cake, anchovies, pate foi de gras, melba toast, jellies, and candy. We ate it New Years night and enjoyed it - Six of us girls broke all dates and rented a big hotel room - and stayed in N. Years eve - we eat [sic] all that food plus crackers, cheese, olives - potatoe [sic] chips and popcorn - (we had a bottle of whiskey - we really had a nice quiet time - as pay day and New Years Eve was [sic] too much to counteract. Today- Sunday I've been in bed all day trying to rest up and get over this cold. Mildred is now in the hospital. it seems as though it takes a long time to get over the flu. I'm still practically coughing my lungs up. Oh yes Mom - sometimes your work is appreciated in this army - which surprises me too. But maybe if things work out alright I'll be going to Administrative Inspector's school one the most sought after schools in the army. Major Hilliard the Air inspector asked me if I would go if the [sic] had room for enlisted personnel - That really makes me proud to think he thinks I'm capable of it because a capt. from the base just flunked it - He told me he hopes I can go - that is that there is an opening - and he will send me. It is in Florida wouldn't that be something to spend a month in Florida - so tell Ikie to pray that they have an opening. Sometimes I despair of the way the army operates but I do love my work - I have been cheated out of my rating by some fast play - but in the run I'm happier than the one who got it - My reputation is all over the base for an excellent worker and a whiz at my work. I know more about tech orders than most officers - and her reputation - she is the laughing stock of the base - the boys respect my rating now and the one I have coming, because they know I deserve it - but they kid about hers - because everyone knows she doesn't deserve it. But I guess I've hardened myself to take all the heart aches one learns to take in the army. Thank everyone for the lovely gifts and I'll try to write more often now that the holiday rush is over. Happy New Years and Love, Mars |
| OCLC number | 900816654 |
