Veteran's Day

Last week's Veteran's Day celebrations reminded me of one of my favorite encounters while on assignment. It was a year ago, at a Veteran's Day celebration at a local elementary school (see above photo), when I met Jane J., pictured here:


Jane was in the first class of WAVEs, enlisting in the Navy during World War II. She moved to Washington, D.C. and worked decoding Japanese messages for three years.

I got to thinking about how different life was for women back then, and how interesting Jane must be to have made such a bold move, for the times. So I tried to chat her up, to get a peek into her way of thinking.

Me: So, Jane, you worked decoding Japanese messages during the war. You must be good at speaking Japanese.

Jane (dead serious, sounding exasperated): Uh, I don't know any Japanese. It was in code. That was the point, sweetie.

Me (embarassed, trying to recover): In code, like numbers?

Jane nods yes.

Me (trying to make up for my gaffe): So you must be good at math, then.

Jane (more exasperated): Uh, no. It was just 0 through 9, honey.

Then she smirked, realizing she had gotten me twice in a row. She went on to tell me about moving into the barracks in D.C.. Since the women were new to the Navy, so were the women's barracks. On the day they opened, they had a bit of a celebration, with a surprise visitor.

Jane: So everyone was unpacking, and I was standing outside the barracks with a few friends. Eleanor Roosevelt pulls up in this Jeep.

Me: Eleanor Roosevelt?

Jane: Lovely person. Not handsome by a long stretch.

Me: What did you do?

Jane: Well, it was near lunchtime, so Eleanor asked if she could join us. I said sure.

Me: So your WAVE class had lunch with Eleanor Roosevelt? Must have been a few hundred people. Did you sit near her?

Jane (exasperated): Honey, it was just me, a few friends, and Mrs. Roosevelt. I said the others were still unpacking.

Me: Oh, right. (three strikes. sheesh)

Jane (smirking, enjoying that she got me again): You know, she lived an interesting life, Mrs. Roosevelt. You should really read a biography of her.

Me (trying to get back in Jane's good graces): Good idea. Do you have one you recommend?

Jane (exasperated): The bookstore's full of them! Get your own!

(grin)