OUR 2024 ANNUAL MEETING – Sunday, November 10 at 5:00 pm at the Sandusky Yacht Club.

PROGRAM – Our guest speaker will be Molly Sampson, WAC Historian and Executive Director of the Maritime Museum of Sandusky, as she delves into the pivotal role of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during WWII. This presentation will explore how women in the WAC supported the U.S. war effort, both abroad and at home, with a special focus on Erie County’s contributions. Discover personal stories of local women who served, the challenges they faced, and their lasting legacy in shaping both military and civilian life during one of the most critical periods in history.
SILENT AUCTION – Yes, we are working on several silent auction baskets including a Booze Basket, a lottery tree, and we will be auctioning off one very old historic marker.

5:00 Social hour (cash bar)
5:30 A very short business meeting and Board meeting
6:00 Buffet dinner, with dessert served at the table
7:00 Speaker program
8:00 Silent Auction bidding concludes

TICKETS – Order your tickets here NOW: $40 per person for Members and $45 per person for non-Members (we also included an option for you to order a $10 membership which pretty much pays for itself!). Ticket price includes taxes, tips and other expenses and is basically our cost. Not a big fan of online ordering? You can also mail a check to: Erie County Historical Society, c/o Leslie Korenko, P O Box 525, Kelleys Island OH 43438. Leslie is our Secretary and she will confirm your reservation. 

WE FEAST – Oh how we will feast! The amazing Commodore Buffet we have planned will not disappoint. The Sandusky Yacht Club staff really outdoes themselves every year!

Your dinner will include: a House salad, dinner rolls, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, Carved top sirloin, seafood scampi, green beans almandine, roasted redskin potatoes, and veggie pasta. And for dessert, the Club’s famous warm bread pudding will be served at your table. If this sounds delicious, you will truly enjoy it in person, and yes, seconds are encouraged.

LOOK AT THE FUN WE HAD LAST YEAR! 2023 ANNUAL MEETING 

MEET MOLLY SAMPSON
Molly is the Executive Director of the Maritime Museum of Sandusky. She is a native of Northwest Ohio She is pursuing a Master of Arts in WWII Studies from Arizona State University and holds a Bachelor’s of Liberal Studies with an emphasis in History and Marketing from Bowling Green State University. She is also the founder of the 1st WAC Living History Group, a nonprofit education group that offers virtual classes on the role of the Women’s Army Corps during the Second World War. Molly was working at a military museum in NW Georgia when the position opened at the Maritime Museum of Sandusky. She is passionate about preserving and promoting the maritime heritage of the Sandusky area. As the executive director of the Sandusky Area Maritime Association, she oversees the daily operations, fundraising, marketing, and programming of the organization, as well as the development of the future museum and education center.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? The U S Army Center of Military History has quite a bit on these remarkable women and the Women’s Army Corp. (WAC). You can view the list HERE.   

The Women’s Army Corps (WAC), U.S. Army unit was created during World War II to enable women to serve in noncombat positions. Never before had women, with the exception of nurses, served within the ranks of the U.S. Army. With the establishment of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), more than 150,000 did so.
In May 1941 Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts introduced a bill that would establish a women’s corps in the U.S. Army. Rogers foresaw that women might be needed in the army, and by introducing the bill she hoped to secure for women a salary and benefits comparable to those of male soldiers. The bill languished until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. It became law on May 15, 1942. The law that established the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) gave its members, called Waacs, an official status and a salary but few of the benefits granted to male soldiers. In July 1943, after thousands of women had enlisted, the U.S. Army dropped the “auxiliary” designation, and from that time on members of the Women’s Army Corps received full U.S. Army benefits. Sixteen thousand women who had joined as Waacs were belatedly granted veterans’ benefits in 1980.