"Anna Mac Clarke" (June 20,1919-April 19,1944)

Joined the Women's Army Corps of the US Army in 1942.Anna became the first African American woman to be a commanding officer of an otherwise all White regiment,so broke not only gender barriers and conquered race barriers when the United States Millitary was still segregated.
Anna was born Anna Mack Clarke less than 30 miles west of Lexington,Kentucky in a small town called Lawrenceburg.Her mama,Nora Mitchell,was a cook in Lawrenceburg,and her daddy Tom Clark was a laboror from Harrodsburg,Kentucky.Since her parents never married,Anna Mack Mitchell would be known as Anna Mac Clarke after dropping the "k" from Mack,and adding an "e" to the end of her daddy's last name.
Her mama had three children,two boys and one girl.Franklin,Lucien,and Evelyn were Anna's half-siblings,as they only shared the same mama.When Nora died of edema,the four children were raised by their grandmama,Lucy Medley,at 324 Lincoln Street in Lawrenceburg.While living with her granmama,Anna learned the importance of education,gaining extra knowledge and education after 15 years of attending regular and Sunday school at Evergreen Baptist Church located on College Street in Lawrenceburg.Anna Mac,as she was known by her neighborhood friends as a "tomboy" who liked to
play football and take care of animals,specifically cats and her pet chameleon.While growing up in her small town community,her peers and elders knew that she was destined to do something great.On May 28,1937,less than one month before 18th birthday,Anna was awarded a diploma from Lawrenceburgh High School,which at that time was referred to as "Colored High School." After graduating from high school,Anna decided to pursue a college education.She considered many,options,in the end to attend Kentucky State College (now KSU),a historically African American college located in Frankfort,Kentucky which is less than 15 miles from where she grew up in Lawrenceburg.While at Kentucky state,Anna was a very active student,participating in sports,Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,and the school's newspaper,The Kntucky Thorobred.Anna graduated from Kentucky State College in 1941,earning a Bachelor's degree in both sociology & economics.She had a hard time finding employment that was appropriate for her skills and was not extremely low paying.
The United States was brought into World War II on December 7,1941,after the Japanese attacked Pearl Habor.When this tragedy happen happened,Anna saw an opportunity to not only serve her country,but also as a chance to earn a good living thanks to  her recently acquired college degree.Mary McLeod Bethune,founding member of the National Council of Negro Women and who had given the convocation speech at Anna's graduation from KSU,was instrumental in forming and recruiting for the all-volunteer Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) .On May 14,1942,Congress legislation establishing the WAAC,and two months 440 recruits-40 0f them African American-reported to Fort Des Moines,Iowa for basic training.Mary, a member of the National Civilian Advisory Committee,also assisted with selection of  officer candidates for the WAAC OCS Program.In 1942 she trained with the United States Army Fifth Service Command's Signal Corps School in Cininnati,Ohio.After receiving her training,Anna officially joined the WAAC in Cininnati on October 3.Anna went by train to the First Women's Army Auxiliary Corps training Center at Fort Des Moines,Iowa-the largest WAAC training center for African Americans.The WAAC Basic and Officer course were identical to the corresponding courses for men,through women were not
expected to study combat subjects and they took a course on women's hygiene.The women studied military sanitation and first aid,military customs and courtesy,map reading,defense against chemical attack,defense against air attack,interior guard,company administration,supply,and management of food.Anna completed her four-week Basic Training course just prior to Christmas 1942.On November 30,1942,the Officer Candidate School at Fort Des Moines in Iowa-Where Anna was stationed-was desegregated.With in two weeks of the desegregation,Anna
became a candidate in the 15th Officer Class,WAAC OCS Program.There were two two others African Americans in her class,Anna would be the only one to finish the course eight weeks later on February 16,1943.By the end of February,Anna was reassigned to the Fourth Company,Third Regiment,As platoon leader.Third Officer Anna was the first African American WAAC assigned to command what was otherwise an all-white unit.With First Officer Sarah E.Murphy,Anna led a unit of 144 African-Americans WAACs to serve in Wakeman General Hospital at Camp Atterbury in Indiana.This assignment lasted for only a month,and in June 1943,Anna worked in the Classification and Assignment Department of WAAC headquarters in Washington,D.C. She enrolled the Adjustant General's School at Camp meade,Maryland,after having completed the training she was assigned to Chicago's WAAC recruiting program.Anna was promoted to Second Officer on July 16,1943,and she returned to Fort Des Moines.The Army transformed the auxiliary units of WAAC into the Regular Army,and Anna became a member of  the Women's Army Corp (WAAC) in September 1943.
On February 7,1944,Anna led the first WAC unit onto the base at Douglas Army Air Field.Located in eastern Arizona,this Army Air Field was one of only four in the U.S. to have.both African American soldiers and WACs.The theater on the post was segregated,and Anna had been warned by the African American soldiers not to go.She and several went to the theater,refusing to sit in the colored section.Anna protested the enforced segregation to the theater management,her immediate supervisor and then the Commanding Officer,Colonel Harvey E.Dyer.On February 21,1944,Colonel Dyer issued the order to his officers "to educate properly all enlisted and civilian personnel in
your respective department to accept any colored WACs assigned as you would any white enlisted man or enlisted woman in the Army of the United States.Every consideration,respect,courtesy and toleration will be afforded every colored WAC.No discrimination will be condoned.
Anna would not get to serve for long.In March 1944 she was admitted to a hospital on the base with sharp pains in her side.Doctors Diagnosed her with
appendicitis,and decided that she needed an apprendectomy to save her life.At first it was believed to be a successful surgery and Anna was expected to make a full recovery.Unfortunately,gangrene had entered her body due to the infection brought on by the surger.She died at the age of 24.
A historical marker honoring Anna Mac Clarke stands near the Lawrenceburg,Kentucky Courthouse.