WOMEN: The Old Nine

Nine purposeful ladies will soberly salute an anniversary next week. Two years ago, fresh out of officer school, they began their careers in the women's army. There were some 670 other women in officer school at the same time. The nine swam to the top, became lieutenant colonels and the ranking WACs, topped only by their boss, Colonel Oveta Gulp Hobby.

One is a divorcee, one a widow, the rest spinsters. They call themselves the "Nine Old Women," although their ages range from a mere 30 to a mere 44. Their backgrounds vary...