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WAAC Honorable Discharge


jmar
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Hello everyone!

 

I hope you and your are all doing well during these difficult times. I've been off and on the Forum the past few years, sort of like my life with ups and downs. I'd like to become more active and have not forgotten my promise to scan much of my ANC and MC BOS. Hoping I can get back to that, In the meantime I'm posting a document to a WAAC that I recently acquired and found quite interesting, I hope you do too!

 

My best wishes to you all, be safe and healthy,

 

Joe

 

 

Kaehler001lo.jpg

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Thanks for posting Joe-

With all of my woman's groups and things I don't remember ever seeing a discharge! Very cool. Looking forward to seeing more of your collection!

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Joe,

 

This is very interesting! I have never seen one. Thanks so much for posting.

 

My best to you! I hope you are doing well...Kat

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Hello M.J. and Kat! So nice to see old friends here. Doing OK, hope you are as well. Going to try and keep the posts coming!

 

My best to you both, thank you for stopping in!

 

Joe

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank for sharing that Joe, My first time seeing one also.

 That is not something I have from my Aunt's WAC time.

 

 So would this have been her discharge from the WAAC's to join the WAC's?

 

Semper Fi

Phil

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On 6/21/2020 at 2:19 PM, AZPhil said:

Thank for sharing that Joe, My first time seeing one also.

 That is not something I have from my Aunt's WAC time.

 

 So would this have been her discharge from the WAAC's to join the WAC's?

 

Semper Fi

Phil

Hello Phil,

 

That is a very good question and, unfortunately, one for I do not have an answer! Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can shed some light on it. I had assumed that the WAACs were eventually assimilated into the WACs around 1943 (?)

 

Thank you for stopping in and for your comments!

 

Best wishes!

 

Joe

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On 6/21/2020 at 2:19 PM, AZPhil said:

Thank for sharing that Joe, My first time seeing one also.

 That is not something I have from my Aunt's WAC time.

 

 So would this have been her discharge from the WAAC's to join the WAC's?

 

Semper Fi

Phil

 

Phil,

 

The WAACs became WACs on July 1, 1943. Since this is dated July 7, 1943, I believe this was her discharge from the WAACs so she could enlist as a WAC.

 

...Kat

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4 hours ago, jmar said:

Hello Phil,

 

That is a very good question and, unfortunately, one for I do not have an answer! Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can shed some light on it. I had assumed that the WAACs were eventually assimilated into the WACs around 1943 (?)

 

Thank you for stopping in and for your comments!

 

Best wishes!

 

Joe

 

Joe,

 

One other note on the dates. Besides the date of July 7, it looks like there is also a date of Aug 19. I read that they had until the end of August to get a discharge from the WAAC. Could the date of July 7 be the date the order listed was effective and the date of Aug 19 is the date your WAAC became a WAC? I believe this is the case but am unsure if I am reading correctly from the pictures.

 

...Kat

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When I saw the dates and know that my aunt went from WAAC to WAC in that time frame ,It had me wondering if this was what I thought it was.

A very unique document to the wonderful women  who decided to serve.

 

Treasure that piece!

 

Semper Fi

Phil

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Hello Kat and Phil!

Thanks Kat for the clarification, it's very helpful. Here is an enlargement of the "reason" for discharge. It could very well be that the memo referenced was for her to move from WAAC to WAC. I did notice that on the enlistment record from Ancestry she is listed as "Womens Army Corps".

 

Thank you for your interest and insight!

 

Best wishes,

 

Joe

 

reason.jpg

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3 hours ago, jmar said:

Hello Kat and Phil!

Thanks Kat for the clarification, it's very helpful. Here is an enlargement of the "reason" for discharge. It could very well be that the memo referenced was for her to move from WAAC to WAC. I did notice that on the enlistment record from Ancestry she is listed as "Womens Army Corps".

 

Thank you for your interest and insight!

 

Best wishes,

 

Joe

 

reason.jpg

 

Joe,

 

Thanks for the close-up of the order. I looked it up in my WAAC/WAC reference book. It looks like there was some confusion when they were converting to WAC. Some women were told they could go home when it was not correct. Some women thought they were in the Army only to find out later on that they did not move to the Army. If I am looking at this correctly, according to this reference number, she was sent home and did not enlist in the WACs. Do you have anything stating she went into the WAC? As I said, there was some confusion in the orders so she may have stayed in.

 

Kat

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On the Remarks section on the back it does say she was authorized travel pay back to Minnesota,

 So possibly she did just get out and go home.

 Looking forward to any more finds about Sophie.

 

Semper Fi

Phil 

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Hi Kat and Phil!

 

After reading Kat's last post I was going to mention what Phil just brought up, her destination back to Minnesota. There's not much I can find on Newspapers.com, Ancestry.com or Fold3.com. BUT I did find the house she lived in (recent photo), and, unfortunately, the dead end I found as far as an obit. Doubtful she's still alive, she's be 102. Not impossible, but unlikely.

She's on my list for deeper digging. I thank you both for your continued interest, it's nice to see that I'm not the only one who enjoys the hunt!

 

My best to you!

 

Joe

 

The address on the discharge, built around 1901 and obit info

 

 

 

713 Adams Stree, NE Minneapolis, Minnesota.jpg

obit.jpg

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Wharfmaster

Sophie Dorothy Kaehler - Place 

Born 20 May 1918, Baker Minnesota.

Passed Away 30 March 2005, Wisconsin.

 

See Find A Grave.

 

 

Wharf

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Hello Wharf!

 

I hope you're doing well! Thank you much for this lead. I did a search on Find-A-Grave, but never thought of moving her last name to the middle position. She's hard to track down, found 2 references to her in obits on Newspapers.com, but can't find her actual obit. Also added is her headstone, with thanks again to you.

 

Great to see you stop by and comment on this thread.

 

Best wishes to you!

 

Joe

 

headstone.jpg

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Excellent work!

 So Joe, If you want to take it one step further, You have the names and locations of Sophie's children.

Possibly somebody still has a uniform/history to go with that discharge paper??????

 

 I like to do research on Vet's and do enjoy seeing information found.

 

 Congrat's on the finds!!

Semper Fi

Phil

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Hello Phil,

 

Thank you for the encouraging words. I do hope to find out more. I now need to go back to Ancestry and see if I can find more info under Sophie Place. She's been quite elusive so far, but hopefully I'll be able to add more to her story. In most cases when researching a veteran I don't stop with their military service. I don't post it here since it would go off topic, but it makes for a more emotional approach to looking at the whole person and their life. I've found some very fascinating lives post-military service!

 

My best wishes!

 

Joe

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4 hours ago, jmar said:

I've found some very fascinating lives post-military service!

 

 

Joe, 

 

I think some collectors forget that for many veterans their military service is just a few years of a very long life. They did so much before and after their service. 

 

My best to you,  Kat

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I do the same thing when I do and record interviews of veterans. I just don't keep it to the war years.

I tell them to tell me about yourself? What you did before , during and after the war?

 This does tend to take some time, I wait until they are done, I only ask questions when they are finished. I don't want to go off track and have them forget the important things to them.

 I grew up listening to all their stories they have and I love it!!

 

 It's good to know the person and not just the warrior that served this Great Nation!!

 

Keep up the great work Joe!

I'll be looking forward to updates.

 

Stay Safe!

Semper Fi

Phil

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