Sorry for the delay in our Archive… we had technical difficulty on Friday which kept us from being able to post. We present, for Virginia Archives Month, Lieutenant Colonel Bernice Hughes. LTC Hughes began her career in the Women’s Army Corps during WWII. She served overseas with the 6888th Central Postal Battalion, the only African-American WAC battalion to serve overseas in World War II. At the time, Captain Hughes served as the 6888th’s Battalion Provost Marshal. Following the war, black WAC strength in the Corps decreased. By December 1946, there were only 9 African-American officers and 363 enlisted women. In 1947 a large black WAC detachment was established at Fort Ord, California, under the command of CPT Hughes. In June 1948, the WAC became a permanent part of the Regular Army and Reserve. Major Hughes received a promotion for her service as Commanding Officer of Company B, the black WAC basic training company at Camp/Fort Lee, Virginia. It was not until 1950, with the end of the 10-percent rule, that African Americans were finally given the same opportunities as whites in basic training. However, the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) was already fully integrated which is why one newspaper claimed Lee to be an “Island of Integration”. The surrounding communities; Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond, all continued to be segregated until the late 1970s. Major Hughes was later promoted to grade of lieutenant colonel and retired in 1958.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 14:10:46 +0000
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