1LT Mary Polk Lord Oral History

title:

1LT Mary Polk Lord Oral History

creator:

Lord, Mary Polk (Draper) (1918 May 4 - )

subject:

Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) | Women's Army Corps (WAC)

description:

This is the original, unedited interview audio. Mary P. Lord (formerly Draper) was born on May 4, 1918 in Cleveland, Ohio. She enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942 because she had already been in the Massachusetts Women’s Defense Corps teaching motor transport, so she felt the Army would be the best branch for her experience. She reported to Daytona Beach, Florida for basic training in December 1942 in the first group to train at the second WAAC training center. After finishing basic at Daytona Beach, she was sent to officer training at the first WAAC training center at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. After finishing officers’ training in April 1943, she was assigned to Fort Devens, Massachusetts where she taught motor transport since she was so familiar with driving in the area. She chose to reenlist rather than get out when the WAAC became the Women’s Army Corps, which brought her a promotion. Fort Devens was closed, and she was sent to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia to be reassessed as an officer in the WAC system. She was sent to San Antonio, Texas to get more motor transport experience at the Normoyle Ordinance Motor School. After finishing there, she was sent to several posts to wait for an assignment, which ended up being with the Signal Corps Ground Signal Agency in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. There, she was a commanding officer in charge of a motor pool. She had some trouble in the beginning with mechanics and other enlisted men who didn’t like having a woman as a CO, but they ultimately became friends rather quickly. She remained at Fort Monmouth until her discharge in April 1946. When she left the service Lord had reached the rank of lieutenant, and for her service she was awarded an American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Board, Barbara

date:

1998-02-01

type:

Audio

format:

Cassette

identifier:

51.035

source:

NSCD | CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

159931

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945) | 1942-46

rights:

Unrestricted