Did you know that there were 200 women stationed at Camp Hale? The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army that stationed women at Camp Hale along with the many men that trained there. It was created as an auxiliary unit on May 15, 1942, by Public Law 554 and converted to an active-duty status in the Army on July 1, 1943.

The role of women at Camp Hale, and during World War II in general, has largely been lost from the historical record. Monys Hagen, history professor at Metro State College of Denver, has dedicated countless hours to preserving this history for generations to come. Although many reasons have been cited for why this history was omitted, the important action now is to correct it.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum (CSM) recently accepted a donation of several photographs taken by a WAC woman stationed at Camp Hale. Donated by the Davis Family in 2017, these photos are preserved in a scrapbook and give a personal glimpse into what life was like for a woman at Camp Hale. Not only were we able to digitize these photos, but the scrapbook was also put on display in a custom case for viewing at the CSM. Museum staff periodically turn the page of the scrapbook, so that you can see multiple pages of the book over time. A portion of this photo collection can be viewed H E RE (more images will be added periodically).

Over the past several years, Board Member and Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame inductee, Chris Anthony, has been helping preserve the story of women at Camp Hale. He touches on this history in his latest documentary, "Mission Mt. Mangart.” Our Curator reached out to Chris about this project and asked him what he learned about the role women played at Camp Hale through his research.

He said: “I was surprised to learn how many women were living in Camp Hale and the fact they had their own dorm. There were about 200 women there.” The Women’s Army Corps was created to perform a wide variety of non-combat functions within the Army including finance, communications, the motor pool, and supply. Chris went on to say: “They helped with all the back-end operations in Camp Hale as well as were nurses. Other women were bussed in from around the Valley for dances at the officers club.” While doing his research, Chris discovered a WAC that still lives in Minturn today. He had an opportunity to see photos she took during her time there and conduct an interview with her.

During World War II, a series of Prisoner of War (POW) camps were established throughout the United States and Camp Hale was one of them (Monys). From 1943 through 1946, Colorado had 48 POW Camps with the largest camps located in Trinidad, Colorado Springs, and Greeley. Monys Hagen states that “The United States government paid the prisoners with coupons that could be used to purchase goods such as toothpaste, razor blades, and tobacco. In addition, officers received $20-$40 per month depending upon rank, and soldiers were awarded ten cents per day.”

Chris Anthony explained in our interview that “A couple of the women fell in love with some of the German’s Prisoners. I think there was even a marriage.” Monys, through her research, agrees with Chris’ statement in that the German Prisoners of War confined at Camp Hale were at the center of a series of scandals. In 1944, at approximately the time Private Dale Maple facilitated the escape of the two POWs, five WACs were charged with writing secret notes to the Nazi prisoners. Privates Frances C. Bundorf, Florence C. Pechon, and Marguerite L. Franklin were court-martialed, and two other WACs awaited military action (Monys). The reactions on the base ranged from that the women had committed "springtime indiscretion" to that they were guilty of fraternization with the enemy. In sum, these reactions are one reason some speculate that this history has been “lost” from the record.

Furthermore, when asking Chris how his research is reflected in his documentary, he replied: “I go into further detail about one particular women Deborah Bankart who helped with the recruiting of the 10th Mountain Division and then ended up on the front lines in Italy.” He also touches on just how many women were at Camp Hale, points out where the dorm was located, and shows a collection of images.

“Mission Mt. Mangart” will premiere at the Boettcher Concert Hall (Denver) with the Colorado Symphony on Thursday, November 11, 2021, and will also play at the Vilar Performing Arts Center (Beaver Creek) December 1, 2021. Learn more HERE.

"Mission Mt. Mangart" trailer 05-15-21.mp4 from Chris Anthony on Vimeo.

Chris closes our interview by saying: “The War Department called upon women from around the United States to volunteer for the War effort and fill in the jobs the men had to leave. This was evident in operations at Camp Hale. The women played a very important role in the War effort.”

The Colorado Snowsports Museum is looking to update our 10th Mountain Division exhibit “Climb to Glory” to better incorporate the story of the women at Camp Hale. To help us reach this goal, please consider making a one-time Tribute Gift in honor of these women. These funds will be used to help us include their story in our Camp Hale display.

In addition to updating our Camp Hale display, the CSM is working with the 10th Mountain Division Foundation to update our “Letters Home” panel. Here, we hope to better incorporate the story of women at Camp Hale as well – through biographies, photos, and other digitized materials. Stay tuned for more details on this project.

If you have any oral histories, artifacts, or photographs associated with women at Camp Hale, and would be interested in donating them to the Museum, please contact Dana Mathios at dana@snowsportsmuseum.org.

Sources:

Anthony, Chris (2021, September 27). Personal interview [Personal interview].
Hagen, Monys (publishing date unknown, accessed September 2021). Camp Hale. Metropolitan State University of Denver. Retrieved from https://temp.msudenver.edu/camphale/thewomensarmycorps/camphalewacdetachment/

Women at Camp Hale