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Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • Service History Note: The veteran was 2nd Commanding Officer in the 32nd Company (a racially segregated company). She had enlisted in the WAAC (Women's Army Auxilliary Corps). The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was the only all African-American female unit to serve overseas in World War II.
  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: WAC (Women's Army Corps)
  • Unit of Service: 32nd Company; 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
  • Location of Service: Fort Des Moines, Iowa; Fort Huachuca, Arizona; England; France; European Theater
  • Highest Rank: Captain

View full service history

"...really formed my political and social point of view…"

In summarizing her life experiences, Gordon makes a moving statement about how the Army pushed her in a positive direction. She feels that her experiences in the WAC changed her from a shy, introspective person into a leader. She speaks glowingly of the present day numbers of women of all colors, races, and ranks in active military service.

Violet Hill Gordon Collection
Interview / Recording

Transcript: XML

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About this Item

Title

  • Violet Hill Gordon Collection

Names

  • Kent, Judith
  • Gordon, Violet Hill Askins
  • National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)
  • Barbara W. Hightcap
  • Flagler County Public Library

State of Birth

  • OK

Home State

  • FL

Headings

  • -  Gordon, Violet Hill
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army. Women's Army Corps.

Notes

  • -  The veteran enlisted as Violet W. Askins and was discharged under the name Violet Ward Hill.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Female

Race

  • Black or African American

Status

  • Veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Service History Note: The veteran was 2nd Commanding Officer in the 32nd Company (a racially segregated company). She had enlisted in the WAAC (Women's Army Auxilliary Corps). The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was the only all African-American female unit to serve overseas in World War II.
    • Branch of Service: WAC (Women's Army Corps)
    • Unit of Service: 32nd Company; 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
    • Location of Service: Fort Des Moines, Iowa; Fort Huachuca, Arizona; England; France; European Theater
    • Highest Rank: Captain
    • Dates of Service: 1942-1946
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: Veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 03/28/2002)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Multiple types of electronic files (collected 03/25/2002)
  • Photograph: Copy photographic print [4 items] -- Photograph (collected 1942)
  • Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2003)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 03/25/2002)
  • Computer File: Floppy Disk [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2002 - 2003)
  • Audio: Audio Cassette [2 items] -- Reference copy (collected 01/01/2002)
  • Audio: CD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 03/25/2002)
  • Computer File: Floppy Disk [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2002-2003)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/146

Cite as

  • Violet Hill Gordon Collection (AFC/2001/001/146), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • image
  • online text

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Kent, Judith, Violet Hill Askins Gordon, National Court Reporters Association, Barbara W. Hightcap, and Flagler County Public Library. Violet Hill Gordon Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.00146/.

APA citation style:

Kent, J., Gordon, V. H. A., National Court Reporters Association, Barbara W. Hightcap & Flagler County Public Library. (1942) Violet Hill Gordon Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.00146/.

MLA citation style:

Kent, Judith, et al. Violet Hill Gordon Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.00146/>.