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FReeper Canteen ~ Honoring Women Military Bands ~ 20 February 2007
Internet ^
| February 19, 2001
| Soaring Feather
Posted on 02/19/2007 5:59:01 PM PST by Soaring Feather
Today, we honor, Women Military Bands.
400th WAC Band
Source:Women's World War II Military Bands
Good Morning, Troops! Thank You for your service!
FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT
Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.
On July 20, 1942, the first contingent of women was inducted into the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. By early 1943, five bands, the 400th Army Band, 401st Army Band , 402d Army Band, 403d Army Band, and the 404th Army Band were composed entirely of women. WAAC bands were later redesignated and officially activated in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) on January 21, 1944.
Eventually the only Army Band made up entirely of women, was the 14th Army WAC Band, activated at Fort Meade, Maryland in August 1948. The 14th reported to the Women's Army Corps Training Center at Camp Lee in March the following year. Its commander was WOJG Katherine V. Allen, a graduate of the Julliard School of Music. She also attended the Boston Conservatory, University of Virginia, and The College of William and Mary. Under WOJG Allen's command the 14th Army WAC Band toured many different regions including the Fifth Army area of responsibility, Hollywood, California, and the Rose Bowl Parade in 1951.
The very first military all women band, the Women's Army Band organized at Fort Des Moines in 1942, was led by then Sergeant Mary Belle Nissly. As a result of special legislation, early in 1944 WAC Sergeant Nissly became the first woman in military history to win a warrant officer band leader appointment.
Warrant Officer Nissly left the Army in 1946 but returned to the service as a Captain in the Air Force in 1951 to organize the United States Air Force WAF Band.
The 50 member concert unit performed all over the world playing everything from classics to rock and roll and mambos to marches. Their home base was Norton AFB in California but they were on the road 70% of the time. Unique to the WAF band was the only woman coach horn soloist in the USA - Technical Sgt Martye Awkerman, pictured above in the shadow image.
In the mid 1950's the WAF band played in New York City and as an Air Force recruiting sergeant at the time, I had the pleasure of being their escort. When they played at the dress rehersal of the Garry Moore Show the program's orchestra "vacated the orchestra pit" and invited the WAF Band to take the stage and play for the show. Circumventing the musician's union rules this way was a grand tribute to the WAF band.
Please remember The Canteen is a cyber home for our Troops, check your politics at the door. All information comes from the Internet.
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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: freepercanteen; military; support; womenbands
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To: Tamar1973
Yeah that true Tamar LMAO
81
posted on
02/19/2007 7:46:03 PM PST
by
SevenofNine
("We are Freepers, all your media belong to us, resistence is futile")
To: Soaring Feather
82
posted on
02/19/2007 7:57:10 PM PST
by
StarCMC
(After the attacks of 9/11, profiling Muslims is more like profiling the Klan. - Ann Coulter)
To: SevenofNine
"OH MONKKKK breaksfast LMAO"http://www.normsrestaurants.com/p3breakfast.html"
I want pancakes and bacon and eggs and waffles and hashbrowns.
To: SevenofNine
"Well according to UK Guardian because of Muslum cleric claim that polio vaccine is US plot to kill Muslum kids there been increase in number of muslum kids coming down with polio"
To: monkapotamus
![](http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g18/algebraroxs/icon79.gif)
Maybe technology has gotten good enough that these polio kids can walk around in iron lungs like Darth Vader. LOL!
OTOH, Polio could become cool, if it's marketed right. /sarcasm
85
posted on
02/19/2007 8:06:59 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: Tamar1973
To: monkapotamus; SevenofNine
DId you read the article on FR about the stupid irish girls caught smuggling heroin into
Turkey.
Stupid is as stupid does.
87
posted on
02/19/2007 8:12:41 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: monkapotamus; SevenofNine
I want pancakes and bacon and eggs and waffles and hashbrowns. That is NOT low carb. Naughty Monk.
88
posted on
02/19/2007 8:13:30 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: Tamar1973
I'm hungry. I made low carb chocolate chip cookies though yesterday.
To: monkapotamus
I made low carb chocolate chip cookies though yesterday. But Monk, the low carb cookies don't balance out the waffles and the pancakes. ROTFLOL!
90
posted on
02/19/2007 8:17:40 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: SevenofNine
To: Tamar1973
To: monkapotamus; SevenofNine
93
posted on
02/19/2007 8:23:19 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: monkapotamus
You have a thing for fat slobs, don't you? LOL!
94
posted on
02/19/2007 8:25:39 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: monkapotamus
See, that's what you can look like if you keep eating those waffles and pancakes. LOL!
95
posted on
02/19/2007 8:26:12 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: Tamar1973
96
posted on
02/19/2007 8:28:56 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: Tamar1973
97
posted on
02/19/2007 8:29:07 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: Tamar1973
98
posted on
02/19/2007 8:29:23 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: Tamar1973
99
posted on
02/19/2007 8:29:33 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
To: Tamar1973
100
posted on
02/19/2007 8:29:41 PM PST
by
Tamar1973
(Note to Hillary, Boxer and Fonda: The peas called, they want their pod back!)
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