Thread by @USArmyCMH

WISDOM WEDNESDAY – COLONEL OVETA CULP HOBBY, HIGHEST RANKING WOMAN IN #WWII

"Women who stepped up were measured as citizens of the nation, not as women. This was a people's war, and everyone was in it."
– COL Oveta Culp Hobby, first director of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC)

A dedicated civil servant and lifelong advocate for women in American public life, COL Oveta Culp Hobby helped open the door to women serving in uniform in the active components of the U.S. Army.

#Armyhistory #USArmy #TRADOC #WAC #WW2 #WW2History #WomensHistoryMonth

Culp Hobby’s service to the nation began in 1941, when she became the leader of the War Dept. Women’s Interest Section. She held this role until 1942, when she was appointed to lead the new Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), an Army auxiliary meant to fill manpower gaps.

When the WAAC was renamed the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in July 1943 and made into a formal active component of the Army, Culp Hobby retained her leadership role and received a Colonel’s commission, becoming the highest-ranking woman in Army history up to that point.

As director of the WAC, COL Culp Hobby worked tirelessly to create a model organization of female soldiers, and the 150,000 WAC’s who served during WWII distinguished themselves through their efficiency.

#MilitaryHistory #Diversity @USArmy @TRADOC @TradocCG @SecArmy @FORSCOM

In recognition of her contributions to the war effort, Culp Hobby became the first woman in Army history to earn the Distinguished Service Medal. She eventually served as the first Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1953 – 1955.

@ArmyChiefStaff