Early Influences on Charity Adams

INGREDIENTS OF A LEADER

by Paulette Howard

Rungs on a ladder, stairsteps that take you to another level or ingredients put together to build a wonderful meal are all individual pieces built upon each other to create a different area or experience. These individual pieces collectively blend or fit together to create a new and different item that is now its own. 

Charity Adams’ individual pieces consist of her father who was a forever student of learning and a scholarly pastor. Her mother who was a skilled educator who watched over their family’s education and use of English especially in its written form. Education was held to a high standard by her parents during her young life. Reading books through summer break filled up her time and kept her mind sharp.

Although Charity was an avid reader, her favorite subject was Math. She enjoyed taking the facts and arriving at results (1). Surely this calculation followed her through many obstacles she would face later in life.

Charity graduated as Valedictorian in her high school class. Onward to college, she worked at a student job as she attended college all four years.

Charity possessed perseverance in her young life which would carry her through her entire life.

(1) Early, Charity Adams, Texas A&M University Press, One Woman’s Army, 2010 p7

THE ROAD TO OPPORTUNITIES

by Paulette Howard

I have heard the saying, “Opportunities do not come around often. When you recognize one, take full advantage of it.” Now it must be an opportunity that fits with your skill set otherwise it’s a lesson learned.

Being the valedictorian in her high school graduating class, Charity Adams may have been afforded opportunities to reduce her educational expenses. At the least, she was afforded the opportunity to attend a university out-of-state, namely Wilberforce University in Ohio. Wilberforce University was one of three outstanding colleges that accepted Negro students in the 1930s and was Charity’s selection.

Within her college curriculum at Wilberforce University, she took classes that would prepare her to be certified to teach as she etched a path for her future. Charity’s studies included coursework in Math, Physics and Latin.

Math prepared her for strong analytical and critical thinking skills, proficiency in problem-solving, logical reasoning and the ability to interpret data.

Physics prepared her for quantitative reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Latin prepared her for fostering critical thinking abilities and gave her a strong foundation for learning other languages.

The common themes in her studies surely provided her with skills she would utilize later in life.

Those skills Charity possessed likely made positive impressions with people whom she was in contact with at Wilberforce University. One of those contacts would be the Dean of Women, Dean Teal, who recommended Charity be invited to apply for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

GETTING IT TOGETHER

By Paulette Howard

   Upon completion and submission of the application into the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps Charity Adams was accepted. She was sworn into the Armed Forces military in the branch of the United States Army on 13 July 1942 at Fort Hayes, Ohio.

   Entering the military meant being inducted into a world that exists within a specific structure full of rules and regulations. Now civilian life itself had plenty of rules and regulations by which people lived. You are allowed to make decisions about your life. Not so in the military. You belong to the United States Government. You will learn its way of life. There are rules and regulations for every aspect of your life as a soldier. The military will “train you up.”

   The training consists of fitness and health, wearing specific attire for specific occasions, learning military terminology, how to walk, how to greet and address higher ranking military personnel, cleaning (policing) your area, symmetry and alignment within your living quarters which includes your bed and its contents, and your foot and wall lockers. There are inspections to ensure these methods are adhered and upheld. The training also teaches you a skill which can be utilized back in civilian life but not always. Upon entering the military, it would be great to have an idea of what field or industry your skills would align with a civilian job and make that selection. You are also being trained to be a solider which is protecting the United States from foreign adversaries. 

   Training also consists of being fit and maintaining your health. You will run a lot sometimes with or without equipment on your person. You may have to stand for long periods of time. You will learn how to take your weapon (M-16) apart and how to clean it and reassemble. You are required to shoot targets which can earn a ribbon (pinned and worn on your uniform). You will enter the gas chamber with your mask on and then take it off and repeat specific information prior to exiting the chamber.

   The military will measure your body type and order the many uniforms it utilizes along with outerwear, purses and footwear. 

   Charity went through this induction period mostly without issues. Life is not without issues. It’s always how you handle those issues and where you land afterward that weaken or strengthen a person or a country. The issue of World War II in the 1940’s created issues for the United States. To deal with an issue Charity faced, she voluntarily joined the Army. Although she and other women voluntarily joined the military, they made a sacrifice to their country to serve.

THE IRONY

By Paulette Howard

Military life is quite strict, organized and linear. ‘There’s only one way and this is it; A place for everything, and everything in its place; although there are 50 soldiers side-by-side in alignment, it looks like one continuous line.’

With all of the solidarity, sameness, and symmetry the military demanded, it left open the distinctiveness of separation and segregation among the troops with the soldiers of color. The soldiers of color were sent to the Third Platoon. Three out of three.  The last group.  Mentally this could have played on in the minds of these soldiers. These women were set apart from others although they were selected from the best of the best yet viewed as less than. They were not less than.

While the laws of the United States required segregation, friendships that were formed during their travels did not necessitate such behavior. People migrated toward other people based on different attitudes, their own beliefs and possibly skill sets. They realized that they could learn from each other’s strengths. They became a team of soldiers.

As the team of female soldiers was being formed, the United States struggled with its two-tier system of life. Life offers high times and low times, just as the motion of the ocean offers high tides and low tides; it ebbs and flows as did the ugly head of racism.

Racism was excised in one area of the Army – the least racially, hate- filled trainers were selected to train the women of color. They were graded on how well the women performed. The trainers had a buy-in on the Third Platoon’s performance so it was in their own best interest to train them as soldiers without wasting time on insignificant issues such as race.

Charity Adams along with other women of color experienced racism mostly from others outside of their learning environment yet they were able to maintain their composure and focus on the mission ahead. Third Platoon learned the military way of life which included its own language, its own uniforms and its own code of unity.

CONSTANT CHANGES

By Paulette Howard

In the book, One Woman’s Army by Charity Adams Earley p. 39, she refers to a comment by Colonel Hobby, “We were the people beginning the tradition for women in the service.” The addition of women in the military was a new concept for the United States and regulations were being written as they were being interviewed for acceptance.

Charity Adams and other officer candidates, six-week trained, became fluent in Army language, with properly prepared uniforms graduated 28 August 1942. There were over 400 of them who made it through to this new life – a military life! A military life as a Commissioned Third Officer! The majority of graduates received their commission and moved to on gain their assignments.

Interviews were conducted to learn of the skills the officer candidates had in civilian life.  Sometimes their military assignments matched, complimented or not even resembled their skillsets and new ones were formed. Next they were moved to new housing areas in Boomtown, Des Moines, Iowa. 

Charity became the Company Commander of the Basic Training Unit which was one of the two units created for the segregated “First-All Negro Company.” Non-existent information and direction from above them matched with the standing, yet incompletely built buildings at their new location. Military books went with them to use as guidelines to set up their new location. However, obstacles piled up and the newly commissioned officers became quite frustrated with the lack of direction as jagged-relayed information was disbursed.

Finally, a cadre of officers were sent to train the newly commissioned Basic Training Unit Staff who mostly possessed useful skills and knowledge. Learning from several individuals has its pluses and minuses. Some have a gift of teaching, others from telling stories about their careers and then there is at least one who possesses no gifts for you except to miss the ones that possess the gifts. This person is generally one who marches to their own tune, is generally critical, non-supporting and typically self-

centered. This is the person that ensures you appreciate those who possess the skills and knowledge to teach you what you need to succeed.