thedrifter
07-01-07, 06:48 AM
Posted July 1, 2007
Female WWII vets share experiences
Women's histories added to state veterans museum
By Stephanie Brien
sbrien@greenbaypressgazette.com
While the men went overseas to fight during World War II, the Marine women's slogan was "free a man to fight."
"We took their jobs so they could go overseas," said Delores Mueller, a Green Bay resident who enlisted in World War II as a clerk.
She was stationed in San Diego at Camp Elliot, a Marine training camp preparing the young men to go overseas. "Marines kept track of everything down to the last nut and bolt," Mueller said. She dealt with paperwork and equipment as 300 new men streamed in and out of camp every week.
Mueller belongs to the Green Bay All Service Women Post 539. Their members are among the newest oral histories being added to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison as Terry MacDonald of Sturgeon Bay records their stories.
"The funny thing is that the women never said anything," MacDonald said about female veterans' roles in the war. "Everyone contributed even if they don't think they did."
While Mueller said her role was just a 9-to-5 job, she does think it's good for female veterans to be remembered.
"It's important because we have been fighting for women's rights for so long and this is just a part of it," Mueller said.
Janice Belleau was another member of the women's post who remembers the war as some of the best and worst experiences of her life. As a Navy "mailmam" at Tanforan Racetrack outside San Bruno, Calif., many damaged boxes came in that needed to be repackaged. And many of the names she recognized as local boys from Green Bay who had died in combat.
"It was heartbreaking. I saw packages going out to boys I already knew were dead," Belleau said. "But I still sent the boxes out because I knew someone could use it."
The racetrack was also where Belleau met her husband. With a ratio of 53 women volunteers to 23,000 men, "he thought it was great out of those men I chose him," Belleau said.
Ellie
Female WWII vets share experiences
Women's histories added to state veterans museum
By Stephanie Brien
sbrien@greenbaypressgazette.com
While the men went overseas to fight during World War II, the Marine women's slogan was "free a man to fight."
"We took their jobs so they could go overseas," said Delores Mueller, a Green Bay resident who enlisted in World War II as a clerk.
She was stationed in San Diego at Camp Elliot, a Marine training camp preparing the young men to go overseas. "Marines kept track of everything down to the last nut and bolt," Mueller said. She dealt with paperwork and equipment as 300 new men streamed in and out of camp every week.
Mueller belongs to the Green Bay All Service Women Post 539. Their members are among the newest oral histories being added to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison as Terry MacDonald of Sturgeon Bay records their stories.
"The funny thing is that the women never said anything," MacDonald said about female veterans' roles in the war. "Everyone contributed even if they don't think they did."
While Mueller said her role was just a 9-to-5 job, she does think it's good for female veterans to be remembered.
"It's important because we have been fighting for women's rights for so long and this is just a part of it," Mueller said.
Janice Belleau was another member of the women's post who remembers the war as some of the best and worst experiences of her life. As a Navy "mailmam" at Tanforan Racetrack outside San Bruno, Calif., many damaged boxes came in that needed to be repackaged. And many of the names she recognized as local boys from Green Bay who had died in combat.
"It was heartbreaking. I saw packages going out to boys I already knew were dead," Belleau said. "But I still sent the boxes out because I knew someone could use it."
The racetrack was also where Belleau met her husband. With a ratio of 53 women volunteers to 23,000 men, "he thought it was great out of those men I chose him," Belleau said.
Ellie