For Women's History Month, we're looking back at some of the influential women in our local area. Captain Marie Cranney is one "Woman Who Made a Difference" at Barksdale.
On June 9, 1943, a small group of 12 women under the command of Captain Marie T. Cranney arrived at Barksdale, the first Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs) unit to be assigned to the field. A month later, President Franklin Roosevelt passed the WAC bill and the WAACs dropped their auxiliary designation and officially became the Women’s Army Corps. The WACs were given all privileges and discipline that regular G.I.’s possessed. Captain Cranney said, “Now that WAC members are actually in the army instead of in an auxiliary to it, they can be given wider responsibilities and a greater variety of duties. The additional privileges will greatly stimulate morale of all WAC personnel.”
Barksdale’s Base commander, Col. William B. Wright, Jr. said, “We have reason to be proud of the Women’s Army Corps unit at Barksdale…their willingness and efficiency in handling a wide variety of positions has earned them recognition as good soldiers.” The colonel urged civilian women to join. He told of the innumerable jobs that women could fill in the operation of the air base. The WACs served as cooks, clerks, stenographers, aircraft mechanics, link trainer instructors, hospital technicians, and other work across 28 military occupation specialties.
WAAC recruiting officers began a “womanpower” survey in 1943. Shreveport was a key city in Louisiana for this survey, which sought to determine the number of local women available for service or for defense industry employment. By the following year, more than 100 women comprised the Barksdale group. After her successes at Barksdale, Capt. Cranney looked to new roles both professionally and personally in July of 1944. She wed SSgt. John W. Daly in Albany, New York, and began working at the Civilian Personnel Office. She soon attended US Army Command and General Staff school in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Command of the WACs at Barksdale was taken on by Captain Mary E. McDougall.
Captain Marie Cranney, commanding officer of the Barksdale Women's Army Corps
Commander Roe Quinn of Lowe-McFarlane poses with three WACs.
Left to right: Lt. Nellile Gunn, Lt. Selma Pequinot and Capt. Marie Cranney.
The impressive ceremony at Barksdale Field on 24 Aug 1943,
when Col. William B. Wright, commanding officer at Barksdale, reviews members of
the 821st WAC post headquarters company as they took the oath of
office that makes them a part of the Army. The colonel expressed pleasure at
having the WAC company as part of his command at Barksdale.
WACs arrive at Barksdale, pictured hauling their equipment
into their barracks.
Pictured here checking menus with Mess Sgt. Mattie Kirby are
Capt. Marie T. Cranney (left), and Lt. Barbara Young.
These WACs serve as cooks. Left to right they are T-4th
Pauline Cable, T-5th Frances Spock, and T-5th Mary Carr.
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