Show don t worry about your WAC oversea she s healthier q and happier than when at home says medical officer off A I 1 major janeway T tells ells about 14 months with N african contingent by GERTRUDE BACHMAN released by western newspaper union washington D C if your daughter sister or wife is a WAC and stationed in the mediterranean area you are probably worrying a lot more about her than she is about herself maj margaret janeway medical corps carps U S army gives a report that should put to route all unnecessary fears they are never n ever sick major janeway told a press confer conference e nce in in washington the fifth army have had an amazing health record from the beginning of 1800 women soldiers who landed in north africa since january 1943 only 12 have been sent home for medical reasons dr janeway believes that this record may prove one thing that the more primitive the circumstances the better a woman thrives they take hardships in a spirit of fun major janeway said when the first contingent went over in january 1943 it found circumstances cum curn stances definitely primitive the trip over exactly a sum I 1 Z 1 5 0 I 1 A MARION degray degrat ot elf milwaukee wis brings an armload of homemade bread into the mes shall excellent food is credited to a large extent for the splendid health record of the overseas mer cruise especially since most of the women ever been to sea before they landed at oran on january 13 and took a train for algiers they discovered their quarters to be an old french convent with no heat and no water they used their helmets for carrying water from an old well in the courtyard and for wash basins it was bitterly cold major janeway said it was may before we thawed out and it was may before we could get an occasional good nights sleep the women slept 12 in a room on straw mattresses placed on double decker bunks wore all their woolen clothes and wrapped themselves in three blankets when they went to bed those on the night shift were envied because they slept during the daytime when there were no air raids on duty 12 hours daily such were the conditions of their employment the wages of WAC privates are the same as those of G I 1 joes 50 a month plus 10 per cent of the base pay for overseas duty the hours were 12 a day seven days a week since curfew was at 7 p m and the algerian shops were closed at that time there was no point in time off during this whole period despite hardships or what most of us would consider hardships there were no serious illnesses and very little j jitters major janeway said A three bed dispensary had been set up in what was described as a large closet in the convent this was used only as an isolation ward for those with colds and as a room for an occasional rest of 24 hours for the very weary major janeway said that after such treatment most of them were ready to go back to their jobs despite all the dire warnings not one WAC contracted any of the diseases they had been told very carefully to guard against when more arrived in algiers in may the entire WAC colony took over an apartment house which provided more comforts and much more warmth the number of beds in the dispensary was increased to 11 of the 68 women who came with this contingent only three had to be a v 30 I 1 7 I 1 I 1 W 0 Z i f i s H A in STROLLING DOWN the roadway to the entrance of the old french convent which is their barracks in north africa are these five who are assigned to the headquarters offices of allied force headquarters they are left to right mary C woods everett mass ellen condon missoula mont mary livingston chattanooga tenn lucille james sioux city iowa and elizabeth page Es canaba mich A nun is passing in the background returned to the states the reason given was excessive nervousness the three women were aged 30 35 and 40 respectively and had backgrounds grounds s of nervous instability what had been a potential inability to adjust at home under secure routine now became complete maladjustment major janeway said they just take it no diet deficiencies were discovered army food was more than adequate and in addition the were the friendly concern of army and navy men they received oranges eggs that cost 2 a dozen and a general supply of nice spoiling the navy men who vied with the tradition of their marine brothers for having this situation well in hand even obtained pillows for the WAC bunks every time a girl got a letter from n home ome major janeway said mama wanted to know if she was getting her vitamins she was but she know it fortunately their folks started sending them vitamin pills and that settled the problem for us they ate their pills and felt better too much sun tan the power of the north african sun was an unknown quantity to the anxious to get a smooth tan they discovered to their dismay that it could very easily be overdone after a few painful burns N LETTERS FROM home are the best morale boosters boasters bo mgt betty jane oleary of pittsburgh pa sounds the welcome mail call which kept the victims away from work sunburn was classified not line of duty that meant that any WAC who was not sensible enough to get her sun gradually would have her pay docked for any time she was off work they soon learned how to do it gradually by november three more WAC companies had reported for duty in algiers in december one company fresh from the states went directly to italy the healthiest women in the whole mediterranean area major janeway found were the fifth army living in tents very close behind the fighting lines in italy they were part of a communications communication ns platoon based at naples and half up toward the front living in tents working the command post message center they were with the fifth army in north africa and followed when american troops took naples major janeway said that t the he at the front and those in in north africa for that matter are so healthy because they do not have time to spend in frivolous activities there is no special training for keeping the in trim in winter they dont have much opportunity for exercise but in summer they swim in north africa a program has been set up which pro vides each woman after so long a time a four day rest period A rest camp has been established 20 miles up the coast from algiers it was opened first for those earliest who were beginning to look a little fatigued after their 12 hours a day seven days a week grind with no passes from january to june no similar arrangement has been made in italy as yet but major janeway believes that one soon will be only six marriages in 14 months there have only been six marriages of in the mediterranean area it is possible that a three month waiting period known as the cooling off period after announcing marriage intentions to the commanding officer is the reason this is an army regulation and applies to both men and women in regard to the unhappy sto stories ries that have been circulating about the morals of the dr janeway cited medical statistics statistic s which showed definitely these rumors to be figments pigments fig ments of imagination the women were homesick at times but not too badly major janeway said six weeks after the first group arrived in algiers however there was no mail from home which resulted in many a tearful night but the regular arrival of mail after that and the strict regimen took care of homesickness pretty thoroughly there have been no battle casualties among the one woman was s injured and one killed in a jeep ac accident there was plenty of bombin bombing but the bombs fell just across th the e street from the algiers barracks the bombs would hit the same spot night after night during the day the damage would be repaired and that night it would be undone yet none of the was hit A piece of shrapnel hit the bed in which a WAC was sleeping but she was unharmed there was some dispute between her and the occupant of the next bunk as to whom the piece of shrapnel belonged major janeway said that the jobs which the perform and about which they are very keen are those of stenographers telephone olera operators tors drivers cooks and all kinds of communications jobs asked if the overseas feel that girls at home are lackadaisical ap 11 01 1 in ff i I 1 k t f P A WAC in north africa hangs up some personal laundry in the back yard of the convent which serves as a barracks giving a homelike touch to the grim business of war about not joining up major janeway replied they certainly do she continued it takes a levelheaded level headed and very well balanced woman to stand up against that pressure and maintain her own good sense it takes a levelheaded woman to keep rested and to maintain her sense of humor |