Oral History Project Continues

"History is not the old walk-behind plow but the person who walked behind."
-Origin Unknown

Staff from the Gore Research Center continue conducting interviews in an effort to record stories that capture the history of Middle Tennessee. Rose Witherspoon Spence agreed to share her memories of serving in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (later renamed Women's Army Corps - WAC). Spence did her basic training in Des Moines, Iowa and was later stationed at Douglas Air Force base in Arizona where she served as message center chief. In recent years, Spence has been actively involved as a field representative for the Women in Military Service for American Memorial Foundation Inc.

Rose explains that WWII changed the roles of women forever.

"It was new in our psyche. Because men were trained to be men, and women were trained to do what men said. And the war brought out, for women, the ability to dictate how they would accept change. Once a woman learned that she can command a group of women on a military base, it was no question that once she became a civilian, she could run a university. She could run an office. She could manage a church. She could run the household, and those experiences changed society."

Rose explained that military service enriched her life in many ways.

"There's Joe Lewis. That's when I met him. I met him right on the line and this is the officer who greeted him. That's Joe Lewis, and I drove him back to headquarters. And, in my job as sergeant major, when you flew into my base, when generals or important people, then he would send me down in the jeep to pick you up and bring you back to headquarters."

Rose enjoyed playing basketball while she served at Douglas Air Force base.

"It was a part of the physical training exercises. We not only did the exercises, we played sports like the men do. And we traveled to base to base and played with other women on other bases. And that was an experience because we flew all over.....I played at Camp Hood and Fort Haucha and other places around in Arizona and Texas. And so, it was a great experience. That was what I did when I got off of work."

Rose also shared her feelings that the nation learned some early civil rights lessons during WWII.

"If two soldiers are shooting, and standing side by side, and they both get killed, they are two soldiers. It's only after you look at them that you discover one is black and one is white. We learned that, and we had a job to do in our country to tell them it will not take away, it will enhance you. Because we proved it."

If you want to know more about Rose Spence's story, or perhaps you are interested in participating in the project, contact the Gore Research Center at (615)898-2632. If you would like to read more stories check the Middle Tennessee Oral History Project page of the Exhibit section of our website.

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Rose explains that WWII changed the roles of women forever.
"It was new in our psyche. Because men were trained to be men, and women were trained to do what men said. And the war brought out, for women, the ability to dictate how they would accept change. Once a woman learned that she can command a group of women on a military base, it was no question that once she became a civilian, she could run a university. She could run an office. She could manage a church. She could run the household, and those experiences changed society."

Rose also shared her feelings that the nation learned some early civil rights lessons during WWII.
	"If two soldiers are shooting, and standing side by side, and they both get killed, they are two soldiers. It's only after you look at them that you discover one is black and one is white. We learned that, and we had a job to do in our country to tell them it will not take away, it will enhance you. Because we proved it."