Mrs. Dempsey likely to end her testimony next week
Hannah says Benny Woodall and Lew Jenkins were ‘just two of many admirers’
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Lack of water blamed in fall of Pantelleria
Gen. Spaatz’s instructions on surrender followed by Italian island
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CANDIDLY SPEAKING —
Rumor-mongers enjoy field day giving it to WAACs
By Maxine Garrison
Well, the rumors finally came out in the open. Perhaps that’s the healthiest place for them.
Rumors flourish when passed around in whispers. They thrive behind that immortal gesture of the gossip-hand half-covering the mouth, while the chin wags furiously. They flower in the dank near-darkness of being kept undercover.
This particular set grew to alarming proportions. When last heard from, the rumor-mongers were taking their oath that a whole shipload of WAACs had been returned from Africa because they were pregnant. The number reported had reached around thousand.
Silly of course. The sort of thing no one actually believes, but loves to repeat. Give them a good strong argument when they tell you such things, and they’ll start to back down. Listen to them, and they make the story better as they go.
Here are facts
In this instance, the facts, as attested to by a WAAC officer at headquarters in New York, are that only about 300 WAACs altogether have been sent to Africa. Of them, exactly three have returned to this country – one because she was pregnant (she’s the wife of an Army officer, and didn’t know about her condition until after she was shipped), and the other two because of illness.
Another rumor had it that Gen. Eisenhower considered the WAACs more trouble than they are worth.
The truth is that Gen. Eisenhower denies any such statement emphatically, and said so in writing to Col. Hobby. More than that, he has asked for three or four times as many as he has now.
And yet, absurd as they seem when you look at them calmly, these stories spread all over the country.
I strongly doubt if anybody actually and honestly believed them.
I think they spread because of several factors. There are people, not true Americans certainly, to whose advantage it is to spread any story they can cook up which will set one body of the people against another, which will put any large and well-known group in disrepute.
Enjoy scandal
There are other persons who simply roll their tongues over the thought of immortality. They enjoy accusing others of living in sin, and do so at every opportunity. The mere idea of women in the armed service is a glorious opportunity to this group.
And then there are simply those persons who pass on, just as a matter of course, every “spicy” thing they hear, say they don’t mean any harm. Maybe they don’t.
But the net result has been to malign and falsely accuse, by implication, every girl who’s had the spunk to sign up for one of the most self-sacrificing of duration jobs.
If only the gossips who started all this could be aired and dried out as thoroughly as can the juicy rumors they started, maybe we could really get somewhere in keeping such stories from spreading.
U.S. Navy Department (June 13, 1943)
Communiqué No. 409
North Pacific.
During the morning of June 11, Army Liberator (Consolidated B‑24) heavy bombers, Mitchell (North American B‑25) medium bombers and Lightning (Lockheed P‑38) and Warhawk (Curtiss P‑40) fighters carried out 'five attacks against Japanese installations at Kiska. Hits were scored in the main camp from and on the runway. Barges in the harbor were bombed and strafed.
South Pacific.
On June 10, during the night, Flying Fortress (Boeing B‑17) heavy bombers and Avenger (Grumman TBF) torpedo bombers bombed and started fires among Japanese positions in the Buin area.
On June 12:
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During the morning a force of Navy, Marine Corps and Army fighter planes intercepted about 40 or 50 Japanese fighters in the vicinity of the Russell Islands. 25 Zeros were shot down and eight more probably shot down. U.S. losses were six planes with all but two of the pilots being rescued.
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On the same morning Army Liberator bombers encountered two Mitsubishi bombers twenty miles west of Buka Island. One enemy bomber was destroyed.
In Navy Department Communiqué No. 408, it was reported that U.S. fighter planes intercepted and shot down four Mitsubishi bombers over the north end of Malaita Island. A later report now reveals that five enemy bombers were shot down instead of four as previously reported.
The Pittsburgh Press (June 13, 1943)
LAMPEDUSA GIVES UP TO ALLIES
Italians surrender after 24-hour blitz
Another stepping stone to Sicily occupied
By Reynolds Packard, United Press staff writer
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Here we go again!
New air blows aimed at Axis
RAF puts new offensive on around-the-clock basis
By Walter Cronkite, United Press staff writer
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Getting tougher!
Civilians due for 20% cut in services
Nelson emphasizes need for overall planning in future
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Anti-strike act sent by Senate to White House
Vote of 55–22 completes legislation aimed to halt work stoppages similar to mine delays
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War to take all illusion from female silhouette
Women to show more and wear less and less as wartime styles go by
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Third war loan drive Sept. 9; increase asked
‘Splendid achievement’ must be bettered, Morgenthau says
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Grew predicts Japs will ease policy in China
But says ‘only stupidest, hungriest Chinese’ will be fooled
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