Elizabeth P. Hoisington
Brigadier General, U.S. Army

Elizabeth P. Hoisington was born on 3 November 1918 in Newton, KS. In 1940, she graduated from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.

Hoisington's Army service goes back to early World War II. Women, with the exception of nurses, were not officially in the Army during WWII. Instead, they were members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).

Elizabeth Hoisington enlisted in November 1942 and completed her basic training at Fort Des Moines, IA. At the time, women were required to serve in units before they could apply to Officer Candidate School (OCS), so Private Hoisington went to a WAAC aircraft early warning unit in Bangor, ME.

The company commander recognized her talents and made her the First Sergeant soon after her arrival. "From private to first sergeant, that was my greatest promotion in the Army." General Hoisington once said.

She then sought out the most grizzled male first sergeant she could find and asked him to teach her what she needed to know. She claims that he did such a good job that when she reached OCS she never had to open a book. After Bangor, Hoisington made it to OCS. Her commission in May 1943 was to the rank of WAAC Third Officer. When the auxiliary became the Women's Army Corps (WAC) a month later, its officers changed to standard Army ranks.

After receiving her commission, she deployed to Europe, serving in France after D-Day. She remained on active duty after World War II, commanding WAC units in Japan, Germany and France, and serving in staff assignments in San Francisco and at the Pentagon.

Colonel Elizabeth P. Hoisington was appointed the seventh Director of the Women's Army Corps on 1 August 1965 and served from 1966 to 1971. As the Director of the Women's Army Corps, Hoisington visited the WACs serving during the Vietnam war in Saigon and Long Binh in September 1967. According to some sources, Hoisington discouraged sending Army women to Vietnam. She believed that the public controversy over the issue of women in combat zones would deter progress in expanding the role of women in the Army.

Promotion

On 15 May 1970, President Richard M. Nixon announced the first women selected for promotion to Brigadier General: Colonel Anna Mae Hays, Chief, Army Nurse Corps, and Elizabeth P. Hoisington, Director of the Women's Army Corps, effective 11 June 1970.

Brigadier General Hoisington retired on 1 August 1971.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Women's Army Corps Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
Croix de guerre (France)

Personal

She was the sister of Air Force Major General Perry M. Hoisington II (1916-2006). Elizabeth Hoisington’s 1970 promotion made them the first brother and sister generals in the United States military.

Death and Burial

Brigadier General Elizabeth P. Hoisington died on 21 August 2007 in Springfield, VA. She is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section 6, Site 9239-B.