S/Sgt. Dorothy F. Bell

S/Sgt. Bells’s Story

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Fairgrove, Mich. resident Dorothy F. Bell entered active duty as a member of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) on Aug. 4, 1943. She trained for and became a Supply and Mail Clerk and was stationed at Ft. Des Moines in Iowa from June 30, 1943 till Feb. 28, 1944. She was then transferred overseas to Sutton Coldfield, England and served as a clerk in the 1st Base Post office. She later transferred to the 25th Base Post Office in Vitry Sur Seine, France in April 1945 and served there as the acting NCO. She supervised 45 to 50 French civilians in servicing the mail handled in Vitry Sur Seine. This office closed at the end of February 1946 and S/Sgt. Bell was transferred to Paris and became Chief Clerk of the Headquarters post office located in the Western Base Section. She later requested and received an appointment to a position in the 24th Base Post Office In Frankfurt, Germany where she remained till her discharge in 1947.

Mail Service

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All through her service time, S/Sgt. Bell distinguished herself as an excellent Mail and Supply Clerk, which led to her becoming an effective administrator in her later service time. When people think of World War II in general, they tend to focus on the male participants of the war without considering the excellent service record of the Women’s Army Corps. These great ladies performed their duties with great skill and enthusiasm and were considered to be a great asset to the U.S. Army by both Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and Gen. Douglas MacArthur.