Anna Mac Clarke facts for kids

Anna Mac Clarke (born Anna Mack Mitchel; June 20, 1919 – April 19, 1944) was an officer in the Women's Army Corps during World War II. She made history as the first African American woman to lead a military unit made up mostly of white soldiers. She reached the rank of first lieutenant.

Growing Up

Anna Mac Clarke was born in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, on June 20, 1919. Her birth name was Anna Mack Mitchel. Her mother, Nora Mitchel, was a cook in Lawrenceburg. Her father, Tom Clark, was a worker from Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Anna's parents were not married. Later, she changed her name to Anna Mac Clarke, dropping the "k" from Mack and adding an "e" to Clark.

Anna's mother, Nora, had three more children: Franklin, Lucien, and Evelyn. These were Anna's half-siblings, meaning they shared the same mother. When Nora passed away, Anna and her three younger siblings were raised by their grandmother, Lucy Medley.

Her Education

On May 28, 1937, Anna Mac Clarke graduated from Lawrenceburg High School. At that time, it was known as the "Colored High School." After high school, Anna went to Kentucky State College. Today, this school is called Kentucky State University (KSU).

While at Kentucky State, Anna was a very active student. She played sports and joined the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She also worked on the school's newspaper, The Kentucky Thorobred. Anna graduated from Kentucky State College in 1941. She earned two bachelor's degrees, one in sociology and one in economics.

Joining the Military in World War II

After the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States entered World War II. Anna Mac Clarke decided to join the military to help her country.

In 1942, Clarke trained with the U.S. Army's Signal Corps School in Cincinnati. This training helped her prepare for military service. On October 3, she officially joined the WAAC in Cincinnati. She then traveled by train to the First Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Training Center at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. This was the largest WAAC training center for African Americans.

The training for WAAC officers was very similar to the training for men. Women learned about military health, first aid, and military customs. They also studied map reading and how to manage supplies. Clarke finished her basic training just before Christmas in 1942.

Military Career and Fighting for Equality

On November 30, 1942, the Officer Candidate School at Fort Des Moines became desegregated. This meant that people of different races could train together. Within two weeks, Clarke became a candidate in the officer training program. By late February, she was assigned as a Platoon Leader. Third Officer Anna Mac Clarke was the first African American WAAC to lead a unit that was otherwise all-white.

Later, Clarke and First Officer Sara E. Murphy led a group of 144 African American WAACs. They served at Wakeman General Hospital in Camp Atterbury, Indiana. After this, Clarke worked at WAAC headquarters in Washington, D.C. She also went to the Adjutant General's School at Fort Meade, Maryland. After her training, she joined the WAAC recruiting program in Chicago.

On July 16, 1943, Clarke was promoted to Second Officer. She then returned to Fort Des Moines. In September 1943, the WAAC became part of the Regular Army, and Clarke became a member of the Women's Army Corps (WAC).

On February 7, 1944, Clarke led the first WAC unit to the base at Douglas Army Air Field in Arizona. This base was one of only four in the U.S. that had both African American soldiers and WACs. The movie theater on the base was segregated, meaning African American soldiers had to sit in a separate section. Clarke was warned not to go, but she and several other women went to the theater and refused to sit in the Colored section.

Clarke protested this segregation to the theater manager, her supervisor, and then the Commanding Officer, Colonel Harvey E. Dyer. Because of her brave actions, on February 21, 1944, Colonel Dyer ordered his officers to treat all WACs, including colored WACs, with "every consideration, respect, courtesy and toleration." He stated that "No discrimination will be condoned." This was a big step in fighting for equality.

Her Passing

In March 1944, Clarke was admitted to a hospital on the base. She had sharp pains in her side. Doctors found she had appendicitis and needed surgery. At first, the surgery seemed successful, and everyone thought she would recover fully. However, an infection caused gangrene to spread in her body. Anna Mac Clarke passed away on April 19, 1944, at the age of 24.

Today, a historical marker honoring Anna Mac Clarke stands near the courthouse in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.

See also

• Women's Army Corps
• Army Women's Museum
• Mary McLeod Bethune