thedrifter
11-24-05, 04:37 PM
Three women recall serving in WWII
Three WWII veterans have maintained a bond forged when the military was still a man's world
BY JULIA NEYMAN
jneyman@herald.com
Janet Parham joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 because she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a World War I Army nurse.
Marie Matthews joined the Navy the same year because she wanted to travel.
Stephanie Suchomel joined the Marines -- also in 1943 -- after she saw a handsome man in uniform at a rally.
The three World War II veterans, all neighbors at a Hollywood retirement community, on Thursday shared their war stories and unique perspectives as women in the armed forces in the mid-1940s.
Today, in honor of Veterans Day, the three women in their 80s will commemorate their years of service in a flag-folding ceremony at their home, Classics Residence by Hyatt in Hollywood.
Although they joined the military for different reasons, the women say they have a common bond, forged from the days of wool uniforms, ambiguous ink-blot psychology tests and endless hours of boot camp -- military idiosyncrasies they shared either directly or through close friends.
Women in World War II had unique military experiences that separated them from the men.
They were relegated to clerical or nursing duties, often at home, so the men could travel abroad to fight. They also had to wait until they were 20 to join, while men could enlist at 18.
But Parham, Suchomel and Matthews said when it comes down to it, the experience for both sexes was more similar than most people would think.
Like the men, the women observe Veterans Day each year with a mix of mourning and nostalgia.
''On Veterans Day we reflect back on what we did, try to remember those who didn't make it back and the ones who are here today,'' Suchomel, 82, said.
And like the men, these three women say they are proud to have served their country in a time of need.
''I think we all realized we were doing something that was really important,'' said Matthews, 87, who was a nurse. ``We were able to free the men from positions that women could go ahead and handle so they could go into active combat.''
Matthews, a lieutenant junior grade in the Marines; Parham, a storekeeper second class in the Navy, and Suchomel, a private first class in the Navy, agreed they were accepted and treated on par with the men. Occasionally, if one man did make an insensitive remark, the other men would protect them.
''One would say something off-color, and forget it,'' Parham, 82, said. ``The other 12 would be on him.''
Each of the women said they got something unique out of their terms of service, even if it was not exactly what they expected.
Suchomel was taught to fire an M1 rifle by a ``six-foot-something, blond, blue-eyed Adonis.''
Parham met her husband, a Navy chief, while on duty at the Opa-locka Naval Air Station. The couple settled in Miami after the war.
Matthews made lifelong friendships and gained respect when she came home from duty.
''Everybody admired the uniform,'' she said.
Suchomel, for her part, had joined the Marines after seeing Sgt. ''Manilla John'' Basilone lead a rally supporting troops at the New Jersey chemical plant where she worked.
'I looked up at that man and said, `This is the most beautiful human being I've ever seen in my life,' '' Suchomel said.
Basilone was later killed in combat, and a commemorative stamp was issued in his name.
A GRIM DUTY
Suchomel started her career in the Marines in the Family Allowance and Casualty Department, where she wrote notification letters to the families of dead soldiers.
Soon after she joined, Marine women were granted permission to go overseas, and Suchomel jumped at the chance. There was just one hitch: To go abroad, she had to find a replacement at her clerical job.
She raved about how much ''fun'' her job was, and made sure to mention the movie stars who sauntered into her office on a regular basis. She soon found a replacement, and took off for the Pacific.
''It was the first thing I had ever done on my own,'' she recalled. '. . . I cried, and said, `What the hell did I get myself into?' ''
Once in Hawaii, Suchomel was quickly relegated to kitchen duty. Just as quickly, she found some construction battalion sailors to show her around the island.
BIG AMBITIONS
Matthews joined the Navy Nurse Corps out of Newton, Mass. so she could travel overseas, but she never made it past Oregon.
She spent the first part of her three-year tour of duty in a maternity ward at Chelsea Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Mass., and then cared for wounded soldiers at the Patuxent River Naval Airport in Patuxent River, Md.
Parham's motivation to enlist was entirely patriotic.
''I had always heard what a privilege it had been [to serve], so there was no doubt whatsoever when World War II started that I would join,'' she said.
Parham's hometown paper in Worcester, Mass. nicknamed her ''Baby WAVE'' because she joined on her 20th birthday. WAVES is an acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. Parham later became president of the WAVES veterans association in Lake County.
After the war, Suchomel and Parham joined the American Legion chapters in their hometowns to share experiences with other veterans who understood what they had been through.
''I came home, and the ones that stayed home didn't quite understand,'' Suchomel said.
But they have no regrets.
''The fact that we were even able to be in the military,'' Parham said. ``Being able to be part of what was a hard time for our country . . . we all felt part of that.''
Ellie
Three WWII veterans have maintained a bond forged when the military was still a man's world
BY JULIA NEYMAN
jneyman@herald.com
Janet Parham joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 because she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a World War I Army nurse.
Marie Matthews joined the Navy the same year because she wanted to travel.
Stephanie Suchomel joined the Marines -- also in 1943 -- after she saw a handsome man in uniform at a rally.
The three World War II veterans, all neighbors at a Hollywood retirement community, on Thursday shared their war stories and unique perspectives as women in the armed forces in the mid-1940s.
Today, in honor of Veterans Day, the three women in their 80s will commemorate their years of service in a flag-folding ceremony at their home, Classics Residence by Hyatt in Hollywood.
Although they joined the military for different reasons, the women say they have a common bond, forged from the days of wool uniforms, ambiguous ink-blot psychology tests and endless hours of boot camp -- military idiosyncrasies they shared either directly or through close friends.
Women in World War II had unique military experiences that separated them from the men.
They were relegated to clerical or nursing duties, often at home, so the men could travel abroad to fight. They also had to wait until they were 20 to join, while men could enlist at 18.
But Parham, Suchomel and Matthews said when it comes down to it, the experience for both sexes was more similar than most people would think.
Like the men, the women observe Veterans Day each year with a mix of mourning and nostalgia.
''On Veterans Day we reflect back on what we did, try to remember those who didn't make it back and the ones who are here today,'' Suchomel, 82, said.
And like the men, these three women say they are proud to have served their country in a time of need.
''I think we all realized we were doing something that was really important,'' said Matthews, 87, who was a nurse. ``We were able to free the men from positions that women could go ahead and handle so they could go into active combat.''
Matthews, a lieutenant junior grade in the Marines; Parham, a storekeeper second class in the Navy, and Suchomel, a private first class in the Navy, agreed they were accepted and treated on par with the men. Occasionally, if one man did make an insensitive remark, the other men would protect them.
''One would say something off-color, and forget it,'' Parham, 82, said. ``The other 12 would be on him.''
Each of the women said they got something unique out of their terms of service, even if it was not exactly what they expected.
Suchomel was taught to fire an M1 rifle by a ``six-foot-something, blond, blue-eyed Adonis.''
Parham met her husband, a Navy chief, while on duty at the Opa-locka Naval Air Station. The couple settled in Miami after the war.
Matthews made lifelong friendships and gained respect when she came home from duty.
''Everybody admired the uniform,'' she said.
Suchomel, for her part, had joined the Marines after seeing Sgt. ''Manilla John'' Basilone lead a rally supporting troops at the New Jersey chemical plant where she worked.
'I looked up at that man and said, `This is the most beautiful human being I've ever seen in my life,' '' Suchomel said.
Basilone was later killed in combat, and a commemorative stamp was issued in his name.
A GRIM DUTY
Suchomel started her career in the Marines in the Family Allowance and Casualty Department, where she wrote notification letters to the families of dead soldiers.
Soon after she joined, Marine women were granted permission to go overseas, and Suchomel jumped at the chance. There was just one hitch: To go abroad, she had to find a replacement at her clerical job.
She raved about how much ''fun'' her job was, and made sure to mention the movie stars who sauntered into her office on a regular basis. She soon found a replacement, and took off for the Pacific.
''It was the first thing I had ever done on my own,'' she recalled. '. . . I cried, and said, `What the hell did I get myself into?' ''
Once in Hawaii, Suchomel was quickly relegated to kitchen duty. Just as quickly, she found some construction battalion sailors to show her around the island.
BIG AMBITIONS
Matthews joined the Navy Nurse Corps out of Newton, Mass. so she could travel overseas, but she never made it past Oregon.
She spent the first part of her three-year tour of duty in a maternity ward at Chelsea Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Mass., and then cared for wounded soldiers at the Patuxent River Naval Airport in Patuxent River, Md.
Parham's motivation to enlist was entirely patriotic.
''I had always heard what a privilege it had been [to serve], so there was no doubt whatsoever when World War II started that I would join,'' she said.
Parham's hometown paper in Worcester, Mass. nicknamed her ''Baby WAVE'' because she joined on her 20th birthday. WAVES is an acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. Parham later became president of the WAVES veterans association in Lake County.
After the war, Suchomel and Parham joined the American Legion chapters in their hometowns to share experiences with other veterans who understood what they had been through.
''I came home, and the ones that stayed home didn't quite understand,'' Suchomel said.
But they have no regrets.
''The fact that we were even able to be in the military,'' Parham said. ``Being able to be part of what was a hard time for our country . . . we all felt part of that.''
Ellie