Ritchie WACs lists Women's Army Corps (WAC) members identified when a soldier's certificate field is marked WAC.
About 2,000 WACs trained at Camp Ritchie during World War II alongside roughly 20,000 men. This page is a working roster; portraits are scarce so far. Background material and additional names will be added as research continues.
Roster names and service clues include research compiled by Dan Gross and expanded by Beverley Driver Eddy (WACs at Camp Ritchie, 2021 spreadsheet).
See also Camp Ritchie — who trained there, Ritchie Girls and WACs, The Patricia Crane Story, and Themes.
In July 1954, about thirty-five former Camp Ritchie WACs gathered in Hagerstown, Maryland, for what the Morning Herald described as the first reunion of a WAC contingent and the formal organization of the Camp Ritchie WAC Association, chaired by Frances Massaro until officers were elected. The paper estimated that about 150 WACs had been stationed at Ritchie during the war.
WAC detachment and Ritchie Girls
Dr. Beverley Driver Eddy's Adams County Historical Society talk Ritchie Girls and WACs puts the Camp Ritchie WAC detachment at about 200 (this roster identifies 199). Only about 10 percent were foreign-born, compared with about 40 percent of the men, and more than a quarter of the Ritchie WACs were commissioned officers. The first contingent arrived in September 1943 under Ruth Mills Bradley; barracks and offices stood across the lake from the men's side. Streets in the WAC area were named Pauline Cushman Avenue and Belle Boyd Street, after Civil War women spies.
Eddy distinguishes Ritchie WACs who did administration, transport, printing, training skits, and document work from a smaller group of Ritchie Girls — twelve WACs who took the same intelligence courses as the men, most in Order of Battle — and about twenty-two WAC faculty.
Close friends at Ritchie from January 1944 included Patricia Crane, Ellen J. Kaufmann, and Phyllis E. MacLennan.
MISLS yearbook (transfers to Camp Ritchie)
Nisei and other MISLS WAC translator graduates who moved to Camp Ritchie appear in a 1946 school yearbook (Fold3). Captions record 21 transfers after the November 1945 commencement and further transfers when the WAC Detachment deactivated in February 1946. See Nisei and Pacific#MISLS WAC Detachment and Camp Ritchie.
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WAC MIS grads leaving for Camp Ritchie -
Capt. Marian E. Nestor (MISLS WAC Detachment CO) -
First WACs at MISLS with Capt. Nestor
Faces
Roster list (198 identified)
| Name | Class | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Carolyn Adams | Private | |
| Madeleine R. Alexander | Sergeant | |
| Rizk A. Altagrazia | Private First Class | |
| Gregor Armstrong | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Gretchen I. Arnold | Private | |
| Pauline M. Baldinucci | Private | |
| Ann L. Barker | Private | |
| Mary E. Beard | Private | |
| Mildred L. Beard | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Esther F. Bell | Private | |
| V. N. Bell | Private | |
| Annette M. Bendees | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Mary M. Bennett | Private First Class | |
| Rose Berger | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Emilie Berkley | Captain | |
| E. B. Bey | Private First Class | |
| Eunice L.P. Bonniwell | Private First Class | |
| Ruth Mills Bradley | Captain | |
| Mary K. Bray | Private First Class | |
| Rita H. Breault | Corporal | |
| Mary T. Bresnahan | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Alma O. Brewer | Private | |
| Helen M. Brown | Private First Class | |
| Anna M. Bukowski | First Lieutenant | |
| Sally B. Buswell | Private | |
| Grace Isabel Butler | First Lieutenant | |
| Helen G. Callanan | Private | |
| Margery L. Candrick | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Elizabeth C. Cantwell | Private | |
| Alvira Carriera | ||
| Gladys Ruth Clark | Captain | |
| Florence Cohn | Private | |
| G. E. Corl | Private First Class | |
| Patricia Crane | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Melba F. Dantin | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Sally J. Davis | Captain | |
| Doris E. DeGraw | First Lieutenant | |
| Hulda C. Detterding | Second Lieutenant | |
| Jennie Dimsey | Private First Class | |
| Lillian H. Dino | Private First Class | |
| Elizabeth A. Doyle | Second Lieutenant | |
| Carol A. Driggs | Private First Class | |
| Harryette H. Emmerson | Lieutenant | |
| Esther D. Erickson | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Ella Erwin | Private First Class | |
| Murieljettie Faber | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Dorothy Fischer | 13 | Capt |
| Helen Garner Fiser | First Lieutenant | |
| Marjorie E. Fleming | ||
| Elizabeth P. Floding | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Lillie M. France | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Calliope Frankos | Private First Class | |
| Rosalie Fredericks | Second Lieutenant | |
| A. M. Garneau | Private First Class | |
| Alice Ann Gates | Second Lieutenant | |
| Jane B. Gerard | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Ruth Gillespie | Private | |
| Antoinette Martina Gillis | Second Lieutenant | |
| Bernice B. Green | Staff Sergeant | |
| S. J. Green | Sergeant | |
| Marcella M. Griffin | Private First Class | |
| Mary M. Haggerty | Private First Class | |
| Eunice Hail | Private First Class | |
| Gertrude D. Harbaugh | Private First Class | |
| Jeanne Elizabeth Hardie | First Lieutenant | |
| Anna J. Haskell | Private | |
| Mary Elizabeth Haygood | First Lieutenant | |
| Clare B. Heyl | Private First Class | |
| Edna M. Higgins | Sergeant | |
| Gladys E. Hoffman | Private First Class | |
| Helene I. Hogan | Private First Class | |
| Elaine Claira Homan | First Lieutenant | |
| Minnie Hudgins | Captain | |
| Mary E. Hughes | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Georgia Fay Hunt | Second Lieutenant | |
| Zelpha A. Hunt | Private | |
| Haruko Hurt (née Sugi) | ||
| Patricia Hutchcraft | Private | |
| Katherine Iseri | Private | |
| Ethel M. James | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| D. R. Jamieson | First Lieutenant | |
| Margrette Janne | Private First Class | |
| Frances M. Jones | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Jessie Kabata | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Florence Kanashiro Kahapea | ||
| Emily J. Kane | Private First Class | |
| Doris H. Kashmann | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Sue Suzuko “Susie” Kato (née Ogata) | ||
| Ellen J. Kaufmann | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Erika Kaul | Technician Third Grade | |
| Elizabeth J. Kearns | Second Lieutenant | |
| Mary Kent | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Freida L. Klotz | Private | |
| Jere Knight | Lieutenant | |
| Carmen Bergeron Knox | Second Lieutenant | |
| Alice Tetsuko Kono | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Marcella Kruse | Private First Class | |
| Helen Kulikowska | Second Lieutenant | |
| J. V. LaMarsh | Sergeant | |
| Marlen R. Lavin | ||
| Rosamond Henrietta Levy | First Lieutenant | |
| Ruth V. Lewis | Private | |
| Mildred R. Lichtenberger | Corporal | |
| Jeannette B. Lohr | First Lieutenant | |
| Jean Lowden | Private First Class | |
| Ruth Elias Lowry | Second Lieutenant | |
| Phyllis E. MacLennan | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Grace M. Malloy | Private | |
| Betty E. Mallue | First Lieutenant | |
| Margaret B. Manley | Sergeant | |
| Frances M. Massaro | First Sergeant | |
| Dorothy M. McCormick | Private First Class | |
| Sarah L. McKnight | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Evelyn M. Medsker | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Ilah A. Melanson | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Elvira L. Miegarrden | Private First Class | |
| Akiko Mikami | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Jane Audrey Miller | Captain | |
| Jeanne J. Miller | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Eleanor T. Moffett | First Lieutenant | |
| Eudora E. Montgomery | Private | |
| Bertha K. Mueller | Private | |
| Beryl Muir | ||
| Frances J. Murphy | First Lieutenant | |
| Janet A. Myers | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Virginia B. Nicholl | Staff Sergeant | |
| Frances S. Nichols | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Betty Nishimura | ||
| Helene V. Novak | Second Lieutenant | |
| Trooda Oda | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Marcia Orloff | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Ruth Ann Palmer | First Lieutenant | |
| Alice A. Parrish | First Lieutenant | |
| Larissa Patrekeyeva | Private First Class | |
| Laura T. Patriarchi | Private First Class | |
| Myrtle M. Pickup | Private First Class | |
| Stephanie Podzunas | ||
| Mary E. Ponicall | Private First Class | |
| Lucile A. Potter | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Marion J. Potter | Private | |
| Sarah Presser | First Lieutenant | |
| Anna M. Radley | Private | |
| Nona B. Reck | First Lieutenant | |
| Sophie E. Reynolds | Private First Class | |
| Dorothy Rice | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Elcy J. Richard | Private First Class | |
| Gladys S. Richards | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Stephanie Riopel | Captain | |
| Pauline A. Roach | Private First Class | |
| Frances Robinson | Lieutenant | |
| Priscilla Rockwell | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Barbara Rode | Second Lieutenant | |
| Alberta I. Rogers | Private First Class | |
| Rosemarie Schneider | Private | |
| June L. Schoening | Private | |
| Irma L. Schoonover | Private | |
| Elizabeth H. Showalter | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Mary A. Simmons | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Elsie J. Simpson | Private First Class | |
| Nelly S. Singer | Corporal | |
| Evelyn J. Skjei | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Christine Slevin | ||
| Charlotte L. Smith | Private | |
| E. Smith | Private First Class | |
| Helen L. Spencer | Captain | |
| Jennie Stables | ||
| Helen M. Stapleton | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Elizabeth Stewart | Lieutenant | |
| Helene R. Stoumen | Captain | |
| Della L. Sullivan | Sergeant | |
| Gloria A. Swanson | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Yuri Tajima | Private | |
| R. K. Tape | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Eleanor H. Thayer | Technician Fourth Grade | |
| Agnes D. Thiemann | First Lieutenant | |
| Ruth Thomas | Master Sergeant | |
| Lillian R. Tombacher | First Lieutenant | |
| Elsie M. Toomey | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| Faith Tovolson | ||
| Tamie Tsuchiyama | ||
| Natalie H. Tufts | First Lieutenant | |
| Anna L. Valelly | Technician Fifth Grade | |
| J. C. Van Someren | Sergeant | |
| Blossom D. Voynich | Private | |
| Pauline S. Walker | Captain | |
| Bonnie June Wall | Private First Class | |
| Irma S. Walsh | Private First Class | |
| Freda Watson | Master Sergeant | |
| Doris F. Weaver | Private First Class | |
| Winifred Webb | ||
| Rita M. Webster | Private First Class | |
| Florence Sybil Weil | Captain | |
| Ester Weinstein | ||
| Lillian K. West | Corporal | |
| Barbara G. Wilson | Private | |
| Susan E. Wolf | First Lieutenant | |
| Hisako Yamashita |
Sources
- Dr. Beverley Driver Eddy — Ritchie Girls and WACs (Adams County Historical Society talk)
- Dr. Beverley Driver Eddy — WWII: Ritchie Girls and Ritchie WACs (Adams County Historical Society)
- Fold3 MISLS WAC yearbook p.90 · p.91 (WAC transfers to Camp Ritchie)
- “Bernice Green of Former WACs Here For First Reunion,” Hagerstown Morning Herald, 30 July 1954 (via Dan Gross research archive (miscellaneous timeline-adjacent documents; not uploaded): WAC Contingent.doc)