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W O M E N ’ S H I ST O RY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2024 | KILLEEN DAILY HERALD
Belton great-grandmother joined Women’s Army Corps in 1954 33 cents an hour, and there were really no tips. If somebody gave you a nickel, you’d be lucky. Sometimes you’d be lucky BELTON — When she was growing up enough to find some (change) when you in rural South Dakota, 88-year-old Phyllis swept the floor. Irene Wetzel learned at an early age how “Sometimes in the summer, I’d go work to take care of livestock and “all kinds” for my aunt and uncle. If they hired a of other chores on the family’s small man to help them, they’d pay him five farm and ranch. dollars a day, but they got me for a dollar “We had cattle and horses, pigs, a day. That was getting up early in the chickens and ducks, and all that stuff,” morning, doing chores, fixing breakfast. said Wetzel, a longtime Harker Heights How I did it, I don’t know. You just did it.” resident now living with a daughter and By the time she graduated high school her family in Belton. “You get up in the in 1953, Wetzel had no specific plan for the morning and take care of the chickens; future. One thing she did know was that go to the barn and milk cows. I learned she was ready to expand her horizons a how to milk cows probably when I was little bit — maybe a lot. about 5. “My area where I lived for 18 years “It wasn’t the biggest place, but it was or whatever included about 40 miles in enough to take care of us.” every direction — that was as far as I Born in the tiny town of Hosmer, Wetever got. I wanted to get out, but I didn’t zel grew up the eldest of six children (two have any money to go anywhere, and jobs sisters and three brothers). By the time didn’t pay anything, so I decided to join she was 12, she was not only doing chores the military,” she said. “It was the only and going to school, but also working long way to get away from home. hours at one of two local restaurants. “I come from a class of 28, and five of “When the cook left after supper, you us girls joined the service. I don’t rememwound up being a cook, waitress, clean ber how many guys did. I got picked up up … you almost ran the place yourself. by the recruiter and taken to Sioux Falls I actually sold beer at 12 years old. I to be signed up for the Army. He picked couldn’t stand the smell of it — I still me up at the house and on the way, he can’t stand the smell of it,” she said, picked up another girl in Madison, South laughing. Dakota, and took us both to get sworn in. “The boss had his room down in the That was the first time I really got away basement where he had his office, and from home.” if you needed him, you’d pound on the After she enlisted in September 1954, wall and he’d come see what you needed. Wetzel headed south to Fort McClellan, I’d work until 11 o’clock, and if they had Alabama, for basic training as a member dances or something, you could wind up of the historic Women’s Army Corps being there until three in the morning.” (WAC), which was first created as an Working all those long hours, what did auxiliary unit of the U.S. Army in 1942. she do with the money she earned? Nearly 150,000 American women served “What money?” Wetzel said. “Do you JOHN CLARK | HERALD know what I worked for? I worked for PLEASE SEE BELTON, C3 Former Women’s Army Corps member Phyllis Wetzel poses with her daughter, Wanita Reeder. BY JOHN CLARK
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