Helen VanGuilder WWII WAAC
Shared by Sandy Chamberlain

The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was a group of women who served in the United States Army during World War II. The WAAC was created to free up men for combat by taking on administrative duties.

Formation

The WAAC was established in 1942 in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor

The WAAC was created as an auxiliary unit, but was later converted to an active duty branch of the Army in 1943

The WAAC's first training center was located at Fort Des Moines, Iowa

Roles

WAACs performed a variety of roles, including aircraft spotting, mail sorting, and printing V-mail cards

WAACs were deployed all over the world

Challenges

The WAAC faced opposition from some quarters, including the defense industry and those who thought women shouldn't serve in uniform

Black WACs faced additional challenges, including being given menial jobs and court-martialed

Legacy

The WAAC's contributions were recognized with the passage of legislation that established a lasting presence of women in the Armed Services

The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army before 1978. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), on 15 May 1942, and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the United States as the WAC on 1 July 1943. Its first director was Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby. The WAC was disbanded on 20 October 1978, and all WAC units were integrated with male units.

Tioga Point Museum has been gifted some letters written by Sgt. Helen Van Guilder while she served in the WAAC during WWII. Helen was from Sayre, Pennsylvania. She shared interesting thoughts and feelings as she served her country. From her excitement of entering training to her excitement about being able to come home to the U.S. again is palpable to the reader of her letters.

On March 23rd in 1943 she was “on her way”, leaving from Penn Station, NY. On March 24th her father received word that she had arrived safely at Fort Oglethorp, Georgia and would be undergoing processing for the next 2 days. After that she would be assigned to basic training and able to send her address for those 4 weeks.

In May of 1943, she wrote of having a large piece of chocolate cake but assured her mother that it was only “almost as good” as hers. She talked about celebrating her birthday and lamenting that her grades weren’t as good as she’d hoped. She said the WAAC’s couldn’t complain about food, that they ate well. She mentioned how much they enjoyed potatoes as they often had “substitutes” like rice or macaroni. She said they sure couldn’t complain because they were all putting on weight!

One letter of interest from June, 1944 shared that her boss was “in a peck of trouble.” She couldn’t elaborate but expressed her utmost sympathy for him! She also added a p.s. to this letter requesting some things from home, including Arrid, a garter belt, starch , soap and gum. She commented more than once about soap being hard to get.

By August of 1945 Helen was anxious to get home and mentioned the “red tape” of the military. A letter from September 29th, 1945 from England mentions not being sure when she would actually get to the U. S. but “will see you again. Loads of love to all. Helen”

More can be learned about Helen’s time in the WAAC by visiting Tioga Point Museum website. To view the letters on website scroll down to Virtual Collection then choose Archives and enter Helen Van Guilder.

The Tioga Point Museum is open Tuesday and Thursday all year but hours are seasonal so please check our web page or Facebook page for current hours or call at 570 888 7225.

Rebecca McDuffee McGeorge

tpointmuseum
6 days ago
3 min read

Rebecca McDuffee McGeorge

The portrait of Rebecca McDuffee McGeorge is believed to have been painted by her niece's husband, Edward Curran Herrick.

Rebecca McDuffee was born in 1798, probably in Athens, the eleventh of twelve children of Daniel McDuffee (1752-1831) and Dorothy Ladley (1755-1845), both natives of County Antrim, Ireland. Rebecca's sister Anna McDuffee Tyler was the mother of Eliza Tyler Herrick, wife of the artist Edward Curran Herrick, and Mary Tyler Long, whose portrait Edward Herrick also painted.

Rebecca's parents immigrated to Bucks county, PA, about 1784. They moved to Athens in 1788. Daniel McDuffee worked as an agent for Col. Arthur Erwin, who had many land claims in what would become Bradford county. When Erwin died in 1791, McDuffee inherited much of his land.

Daniel McDuffee built a home on what is now Edward St.; it is referred to as the Herrick House.

Daniel McDuffee was a skilled weaver. The Tioga Point Museum has in its collection a coat of silk and linen woven by him for his son Ferdinand. The museum also has a ladies' straw hat made by Daniel's daughter Dorothy.

Rebecca married Horatio Thomas McGeorge Jr., probably about 1827. Horatio McGeorge was born in London, England, in October, 1783, the third of at least nine children of Rev. Horatio Thomas McGeorge Sr. (1755-1852), a Congregationalist minister, and Catherine Dickson (1760-1838). Horatio's parents immigrated to the United States about 1802. They settled first in Hadley, MA; they moved to South Oxford, NY, in 1820.

Horatio Jr. married Nancy McIntire in 1812 in Boston, MA. They had two children together:

Robert Leslie McGeorge (1816-1893)
Henry McGeorge (dates unknown)

Horatio and his family lived in Butternuts, Otsego county, NY, in 1820. Nancy presumably died in the 1820s.

Louise Welles Murray wrote the following about Horatio McGeorge in her 1908 History of Old Tioga Point:

... Cabinet maker ... Horatio T. McGeorge ... located here about 1830 [sic – probably a few years earlier]. He was an expert carpenter, his specialty being church building. He evidently came here to build the first Presbyterian Church. He was twice married; by first wife had Henry and [Robert] Leslie; then married Rebecca, daughter of Daniel McDuffee, a beautiful woman, mother of Frank and

Eliza, well known, though no longer resident at Athens. Mr. McGeorge was a fine musician and long played the organ and bass viol in the Presbyterian church, just north of which he had a house and shop for twenty years; later he lived and died on Paine Street, having become entirely blind. His daughter Eliza [1832-1917] married Rev. William French, at one time teacher in the [Athens] Academy, who later, for long years, did a wonderful missionary work on Blackwell's Island, gaining the well-deserved name of "Angel of the Island." His labors were shared by his wife, who still continues them. Mr. French, while at Athens, was largely instrumental in establishing Trinity Church.

Records show Horatio McGeorge's name on payment vouchers from the Athens Presbyterian Church.

Horatio must have come to Athens by 1827 (Rebecca's death notice in the Athens Gleaner says 1826). His first child with Rebecca, Frank H. McGeorge, was born in 1828. Frank was a dentist in Corning, NY, for many years. He died in Corning in 1912.

Rebecca and Horatio lived in Athens for the rest of their lives.

Horatio McGeorge died on Jan. 13, 1854, probably in Athens. He was buried in Tioga Point Cemetery.

After Horatio's death, Rebecca lived for a while with her niece Eliza Tyler Herrick and her family. In 1865 she lived in Corning with her son Frank. Later she lived with her daughter Eliza McGeorge French in Canterbury, Orange county, NY.

Rebecca McDuffee McGeorge died at her daughter's home on Feb. 27, 1870. She was buried with her husband in Tioga Point Cemetery.

References:

Murray, Louise Welles. A History of Old Tioga Point and Early Athens. Raeder Press, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 1908
Heverly, Clement C. Pioneer and Patriot Families of Bradford County. Bradford Star Print, Towanda, PA, 1913
Galpin, Henry J. Annals of Oxford, NY. Times Book and Job Printing House, Oxford, NY, 1906
Star-Gazette, Elmira, NY
Gleaner, Athens, PA
Journal, Corning, NY
Familysearch.org
Ancestry.com