妇女军（WAC）成立于1942年；originally it was the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), but it was converted to active duty status in 1943. This made WACs unique to other women’s military groups, because it was the first time, and the only group, that integrated women into the United States Military. Around 150,000 women volunteered to serve in the WAC during World War II. Women were not allowed to fulfill ‘active combat’ roles in the military, but that still left over 250 support roles in the army to step into, from stenographer to map maker, photographer to truck driver, mechanic to switchboard operator. All of these positions were vital to the war effort. Many of the women who joined the WAC had a relative or sweetheart already serving, and hoped to bring their loved ones home sooner by aiding in the war effort.

这些妇女中的大多数都在家乡服役，接任办公室和其他非战斗工作，以便男人能够出国战斗。这些妇女驻扎在各种州立军队的装置中，与陆军服役部队，地面部队，陆军空军和陆军医院合作。

WACS于1943年4月10日到达汉普顿路港口（HRPE），并在港口工作，直到1946年初，他们要么被解散或转移（弗吉尼亚州图书馆；每日出版社； 1946年2月3日）。“他们的工作是如此出色，以至于征用了更多的WAC，并且WAC的三家完整的公司现在在那里工作”（《泰晤士报》，1944年3月25日）。

在HRPE工作的WACS扮演了许多角色。许多人组织了士兵，护士和物资的运输，要去海外。他们组织了到达和出发，旅行住房等等。几名在陆军办公室担任秘书或速记员。其他人则是机械师，测试和维护要在海外运送的车辆。在一篇报纸文章中，鼓励妇女加入HRPE的WAC，并指出：“现在迫切需要妇女来填补汉普顿路的重要战争工作。在运输军中向WAC开放的一些工作如下：店员打字员，申请员工，语言口译员，调度员 - 运输汽车和船只 - X射线和牙科技术人员。”（《泰晤士报》，1944年3月25日）。

这WACs weren’t all work, though, the port boasted a women’s softball, tennis, and basketball team, the women were given time to ride horses, visit the beaches, see the local sites (including The Mariners’ Museum, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Virginia War Museum), participate in dances and socials, and more!

一些WAC驻扎在HRPE和其他地方，当他们驻扎在国外时，他们也从港口出发。实际上，战争期间，将近150万男女在港口内外加工（in the month of November 1945, the port debarked 127,000 people, and over 152,000 tons of cargo!)(Daily Press, 17 June 2017; Daily Press, 7 December 1945) . The first battalion of WACs in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) arrived in London in July 1943. These WACs served a variety of occupations, but there was an especially high demand for switchboard operators and typists. As the war progressed, more WACs were sent abroad to support the war effort, stationed later in France, Italy, Germany and many other locations on the continent. Some members of First WAC company, HRPE, were also sent to the Pacific Theater, specifically to New Guinea (Daily Press, 5 February 1945).

Embarking through HRPE, WACs would be housed and organized until they were ready to ship out, just like any other military personnel. The WACs would be given important information on where they were headed and what to expect when they arrived. They would also be served some ‘last comforts of home’ by Red Cross volunteers at HRPE, like evening dances, hot dogs, coffee and donuts.

We are especially lucky, at The Mariners’ Museum and Park, to house more than 1,200 photographs showing WACs working in, and traveling through HRPE. These include propaganda photos, training photos, lifestyle photos, event and parade photos, and working photos. It’s an amazing resource!

http://librarygallery.www.boxorats.com/exhibits/show/hrpe/intro

https://www.newspapers.com/search/legacy/#query=WACs+Hampton+Roads+port+of+Embarkation&dr_year=1943-1946&p_place=VA

https://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-news/dp-nws-wws-ww2-port-embarkarkation-hampton-read-road-20170616-story.html