The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 93, July 1989 - April, 1990 Page: 71
598 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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WAACs in Texas
services. The whole town was invited to both the show and the gradua-
tion ritual.
The opening scene of our revue, titled "Unauthorized Abbrevia-
tions," was the setting for "The Ladies in White." The curtains parted to
reveal a semicircular backdrop with three doors-one marked "Ladies
Room," the other two unmarked. Eventually the door to the "La-
dies Room" opened and one of our women appeared wrapped in a
sheet held together with one hand while she carefully balanced a glass
jar in the palm of the other. Painted on the jar in large letters was
"URINE SPECIMEN." She stood a moment, debated with herself si-
lently, then chose an unmarked portal and disappeared through it. At
this point the door to the "Ladies Room" opened again and another
sheeted lady with a "specimen" timidly crept out, wavered noiselessly,
selected another exit, and disappeared through it. The pace picked up,
and doors opened and closed until the stage was flooded with "ladies in
white." Titters started, then howls of laughter for we recalled ourselves
on enlistment day when we had done the same things! We received a
cup or jar and were told to get a "specimen," which we did-the mys-
tery was then what to do with "it" after it was procured. We too faced
unmarked doors, chose outlets, and exited through them.
This first act in mime was followed by skits and musical numbers that
brought voice, dance, and more comedy to the remainder of the show.
I choreographed the dance movements and designed and made the
costumes. I combed the town for supplies, then incorporated fabric
and trimmings from all sources to serve the purpose. Among the fin-
ished products were ballet gowns with bodices of blue satin encrusted
with silver stars and voluminous skirts in broad horizontal stripes of red
and white gauze that showed effectively under the theatrical lighting.
After the finale, with applause ringing in our ears, we celebrated and
then put studies, exams, rehearsals, and show business behind us. True
to the view that we were soldiers in wartime, we prepared to be bright-
eyed for our graduation exercises the following morning. While we
breakfasted and made ready to face the remainder of a busy day, we
were complimented in print by the Daily Sentinel newspaper, which
noted that our revue was more professional than those of the two
classes that had preceded us.
By 1o: 15 A.M. the next morning we took our assigned seats in the col-
lege auditorium with spectators from the town seated behind us. On
the podium sat the pastor who was to give the invocation, the com-
manding officer of our Administration School, and the invited speaker,
Colonel Joseph S. Harbison of the Adjutant General's School, Fort
Washington, Maryland, as well as assorted enlisted and commissioned
WAAC members who would participate in the ceremonies.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 93, July 1989 - April, 1990, periodical, 1990; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101213/m1/97/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.