Carmen Contreras-Bozak
Encyclopedia
Tech4 Carmen Contreras-Bozak (born December 31, 1919) was the first Hispanic
to serve in the U.S. Women's Army Corps
where she served as an interpreter and in numerous administrative positions.
, located in the central mountains of the island, where she attended elementary school.
Her mother, Lila Baudilia Lugo Torres, moved the family to New York City
in search of a better way of life. In New York, Contreras attended Julia Richman High School and upon graduating went to work for the National Youth Administration
. After taking and passing a Civil Service test, Contreras went to work for the War Department
in Washington, D.C.
as a payroll clerk.
(WAAC) was established during World War II
on May 15, 1942, "for the purpose of making available to the national defense the knowledge, skill, and special training of the women of the nation." During this period, the Army
was looking for bilingual Hispanic women to fill assignments in fields such as cryptology, communications and interpretation. In 1942, Contreras joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and was sent to Fort Lee, Virginia
for training. Contreras volunteered to be part of the 149th WAAC Post Headquarters Company the first to go overseas, setting sail from New York Harbor for Europe
on January 1943.
The unit arrived in Northern Africa on January 27, 1943 and rendered overseas duties in Algiers
within General Dwight D. Eisenhower
’s theatre headquarters. The women who served abroad were not treated like the regular Army servicemen. They did not receive overseas payment nor could they receive government life insurance. These women had no protection if they became ill, wounded or captured. If captured, the women were considered as "auxiliaries" serving with the Army rather than in it, did not have the same protections under international law as the male soldiers. These were factors which the Army took into consideration when they decided to integrate the Women’s Corps into the regular Army. On July 3, 1943, the WAC bill, which established the Women’s Army Corps as integral part of the Army of the United States, was signed into law (Public Law 78-110) becoming effective on September 1, 1943.
Contreras was promoted to the rank of Tech 4 (Technical Sergeant), which in the today's Army would equal the rank of Sergeant (E-4). Her responsibilities included the transmission of encoded messages to the battlefield. After returning home, Contreras entered Valley Forge General Hospital on July 1945, for treatment of an eye infection which she had contracted in Algiers. There she met Theodore Bozak, a patient who would become her husband. Carmen Contreras-Bozak and Theodore Bozak had three children, two sons, Brian and Robert, and a daughter, Carmen.
. There she started a chapter of WAC Vets and in 1998 founded a chapter of the Society of Military Widows. She now resides in Tampa, FL. Approximately 200 Puerto Rican
women served in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II.
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
to serve in the U.S. Women's Army Corps
Women's Army Corps
The Women's Army Corps was the women's branch of the US Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps on 15 May 1942 by Public Law 554, and converted to full status as the WAC in 1943...
where she served as an interpreter and in numerous administrative positions.
Early years
Born Carmen Contreras in 1919, she was the oldest of three siblings. She was born and raised in the town of Cayey, Puerto RicoCayey, Puerto Rico
Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...
, located in the central mountains of the island, where she attended elementary school.
Her mother, Lila Baudilia Lugo Torres, moved the family to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in search of a better way of life. In New York, Contreras attended Julia Richman High School and upon graduating went to work for the National Youth Administration
National Youth Administration
The National Youth Administration was a New Deal agency in the United States that focused on providing work and education for Americans between the ages of 16 and 24. It operated from 1935 to 1939 as part of the Works Progress Administration . Following the passage of the Reorganization Act of...
. After taking and passing a Civil Service test, Contreras went to work for the War Department
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as a payroll clerk.
World War II
The Women's Army Auxiliary CorpsWomen's Army Auxiliary Corps
The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps can refer to:* Women's Army Auxiliary Corps , a branch of the British military in the First World War* prior name of the Women's Army Corps, a branch of the U.S. military in World War II...
(WAAC) was established during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on May 15, 1942, "for the purpose of making available to the national defense the knowledge, skill, and special training of the women of the nation." During this period, the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
was looking for bilingual Hispanic women to fill assignments in fields such as cryptology, communications and interpretation. In 1942, Contreras joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and was sent to Fort Lee, Virginia
Fort Lee, Virginia
Fort Lee is a census-designated place in Prince George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,269 at the 2000 census.Fort Lee is a United States Army post and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command / Sustainment Center of Excellence , the U.S. Army Quartermaster...
for training. Contreras volunteered to be part of the 149th WAAC Post Headquarters Company the first to go overseas, setting sail from New York Harbor for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on January 1943.
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
within General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
’s theatre headquarters. The women who served abroad were not treated like the regular Army servicemen. They did not receive overseas payment nor could they receive government life insurance. These women had no protection if they became ill, wounded or captured. If captured, the women were considered as "auxiliaries" serving with the Army rather than in it, did not have the same protections under international law as the male soldiers. These were factors which the Army took into consideration when they decided to integrate the Women’s Corps into the regular Army. On July 3, 1943, the WAC bill, which established the Women’s Army Corps as integral part of the Army of the United States, was signed into law (Public Law 78-110) becoming effective on September 1, 1943.
Contreras was promoted to the rank of Tech 4 (Technical Sergeant), which in the today's Army would equal the rank of Sergeant (E-4). Her responsibilities included the transmission of encoded messages to the battlefield. After returning home, Contreras entered Valley Forge General Hospital on July 1945, for treatment of an eye infection which she had contracted in Algiers. There she met Theodore Bozak, a patient who would become her husband. Carmen Contreras-Bozak and Theodore Bozak had three children, two sons, Brian and Robert, and a daughter, Carmen.
Later years
Contreras-Bozak lived for many years in Fort Lauderdale, FloridaFort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. There she started a chapter of WAC Vets and in 1998 founded a chapter of the Society of Military Widows. She now resides in Tampa, FL. Approximately 200 Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
women served in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II.
Awards and decorations
Among Tech4 Carmen Contreras-Bozak's military decorations were the following:| Army Good Conduct Medal Good Conduct Medal The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was... |
Women's Army Corps Service Medal Women's Army Corps Service Medal The Women’s Army Corps Service Medal was a decoration of the United States Army which was created on July 29, 1943 by issued by President Franklin Roosevelt. The decoration was intended to recognize the contribution of women to the Army during the Second World War... |
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| American Campaign Medal American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt... |
European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two bronze stars | World War II Victory Medal World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of... |
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Further reading
- "LAS WACS"-Participacion de la Mujer Boricua en la Seginda Guerra Mundial; by: Carmen García RosadoCarmen García RosadoPFC Carmen García Rosado is an educator, author and activist for the rights of women veterans who was among the first 200 Puerto Rican women to be recruited into the WAC's during World War II...
; 1ra. Edicion publicada en Octubre de 2006; 2da Edicion revisada 2007; Regitro tro Propiedad Intectual ELA (Government of Puerto Rico) #06-13P-)1A-399; Library of Congress TXY 1-312-685 - "Historia militar de Puerto Rico"; by: Hector Andres NegroniHector Andres NegroniColonel Héctor Andrés Negroni is a historian, senior aerospace defense executive, author and the first Puerto Rican graduate of the United States Air Force Academy...
; publisher=Sociedad Estatal Quinto Centenario (1992); isbn=8478441387
See also
- Carmen Lozano Dumler
- Carmen García RosadoCarmen García RosadoPFC Carmen García Rosado is an educator, author and activist for the rights of women veterans who was among the first 200 Puerto Rican women to be recruited into the WAC's during World War II...
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Puerto Rican women in the militaryPuerto Rican women in the militaryOne of the least known roles played by Puerto Rican women has been that of revolutionists and soldiers. This is a brief account of some the Puerto Rican women who have participated in military actions either as members of a political revolutionary movement or the Armed Forces of the United...
- Puerto Ricans in World War IIPuerto Ricans in World War IIPuerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved since World War I. In World War II, Puerto Rican members of the U.S. armed forces guarded U.S...