Womens Army
Corps
Elizabethtown, KY
In Elizabethtown, KY in 1945 three African American WAC's women Helen Smith, Georgia Boston , and Tommie Smith were beaten by police officers for sitting in the whites only wating room at the Greyhound bus station. Helen Smith was taken to jail and relaeasd hours later while her wounds were still bleeding. All three when returned to Ft. Knox and were lectured for not following the segregation laws of Kentucky. They were court maritialed and defended by Lieutenant W. Robert Ming. The charges were later dropped to disorderly conduct
Camp Breckinridge, KY
In 1943 six black women of the WACs resigned from the Army after their unit staged over the job assignments. 1st Lieutenant Myrtle Anderson and 2nd Lieutenant Margaret E. B. Jones were under command of the unit at the time. The women had been trained as supply clerks at Fort Des Moines , Iowa in 1942 but were transfored to Camp Breckinridge . Once they were their they were jobs were to stack beds and clean warehouse floors , bathroom, and doing laundry. The white soliders were constantly sneaking into their barracks trying to sexually harrass and assault them. Jones and Anderson filed many complaints to their supervisors but nothing was done. Since nothing was being done they went on strike. 5 days after the strike they were allowed to leave the service without honors.
