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Pauline G. Palmer (1901-1952), from Meriden, Connecticut and East Orange, New Jersey at the time of her induction, was a 41 year old music teacher when she joined the WAAC. She was also essentially a single mother, as her husband was a disabled World War I veteran. On July 9, 1942, 47 women were sworn in as the first officer candidates in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Pauline Palmer was one of the 3,515 initial applicants and one of the few selected. Eleven days later she was part of the first group of women to begin training in the WAAC at Fort Des Moines. In November 1942 when she was transferred to the new training facility at Daytona Beach. There she was named company commander in charge of a group of around 200 new recruits. In 1944 Palmer was promoted to Captain and [...] Read more