Canned Fruit for Wounded Soldiers in 1918

From the September 19, 2018, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, IL)  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"A barrel of canned fruit is to be made up by the ladies of Clare and sent to the Wesley hospital for the benefit of wounded soldiers.

"You may bring the fruit any time before the first of October to the home of Mrs. J.A. Daley and exchange it for an empty fruit can."

All For the War Effort.  --Cooter

Loretta Perfectus Walsh-- Part 2: U.S. Navy's First Woman

On January 31, 1917, Germany announced it would henceforth begin unrestricted submarine warfare on all ships, including U.S. flagged ones.  On March 12, 1917, all American merchant ships in war zones were ordered to be armed and to fire on any U-boats they encountered.

It was during this period that Loretta Walsh enlisted for a four-year term.  On March 19, 1917, the U.S. navy Department authorized the enrollment of women in the Naval Reserve with a yeoman and other ratings.  This was in anticipation of a manpower crunch forthcoming.  The women yeoman received a Yeoman (F) classification.  They were commonly referred to as Yeomanettes.

Just twelve days after her enlistment. President Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war, which it did on April 6, 1917.

After the war ended, the Navy began a numbers reduction and by 1919, just 4,000 women remained in the ranks.  At that time, Loretta Walsh and all others were released but continued in inactive reserve status.  She continued that until the end of her four-year enlistment on March 17, 1921.

--Cooter

Loretta Perfectus Walsh-- Part 1: First U.S. Navy Woman

From Wikipedia.

I had never heard of her until yesterday's entry on my World War II blog so looked her up.

LORETTA PERFECTUS WALSH ( April 22, 1896-August 6, 1925)

Regarded as the first active duty (non-nurse) Navy woman, the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Navy and the first woman allowed to serve in any U.S. armed forces service other than as a nurse.

She enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve on March 17, 1917 as the United States was gearing up for World War I.  She became the first female Navy petty officer when she was sworn in as Chief Yeoman four days later on March 21, 1917.

Loretta Walsh was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

--Cooter

Follow Up on Jennie Truncale, a Rosie the Riveter

Back on Nov. 8, 2013, I wrote about this woman turning 105 in my World War II blog, Tattooed On Your Soul, and that she worked at the Scuvill Manufacturing Company in Waterbury, Ct., during the war. I'd never heard of this company so some more research was in order.

From the Women, Enterprise & Society Collection at Harvard University.

This company produced brass objects like buttons, screws and tools in Waterbury, Ct., from 1802-1956. Its payroll records from 1862-1916 indicate that about half of the workers were women.

From Wikipedia.

Waterbury is known by the nickname "Brass City," and is 77 miles northeast of New York City. During World War II, some 10,000 worked at Scuvill Manufacturing which was sold to Century Brass in 1956.

Just a Follow Up. --Cooter

Ten Best Old War Films

From the Jan. 1, 2011, Screen Junkies.

1.  Twelve O-Clock High (1949)
2.  The Desert Fox (1951)
3.  From Here to Eternity (1953)

4.  The Caine Mutiny (1954)
5.  The Bridge Over the River Kwai (1957)
6.  Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
7.  The Longest Day (1962)

8.  The Great Escape (1963)
9.  Patton (1970)
10. Apocalypse Now (1979)

Seen 'Em All.   --Cooter

Dead Page: WAC-- McHale's Navy

Both obituaries from the November 6, 2009 Chicago Tribune.


DOROTHY LAMB BROWN (1917-2009)

Chicago teacher was counselor in WW II

Dorothy Brown was a member of the Women's Air Corps during the war with a primary job to counsel "shell-shocked soldiers returning from battle." According to her son, Ken, "She was helping them cope with post-traumatic stress, a disorder that back then didn't even have a name."

After the war, she taught kindergarten and first grade in the Chicago public schools until retiring in 1975.

In 1943, she joined the Women's Air Corps, an auxiliary Army organization created to enlist women for non-combat duty and was sent to Fort Kilmer, NJ, where she met and later married Willard Brown.

In 1945, she got a military transfer and followed her husband to Ital where she was a counselor for two years.


CARL BALLANTINE (1917-2009)

Mined laughs from magic

Carl Ballantine performed comedy magic and was a character-actor best-known for playing Lester Gruber in the 1962-1966 sitcom "McHale's Navy."

Tim Conway, who played the bumbling Ensign Parker on the show said "He was a natural; everything to him had humor."

He made a name for himself playing an inept magician, billing himself as "The Amazing Ballantine," "The Great Ballantine" and "Ballantine: The World's Greatest Magician" in night clubs starting in the 1940s, often waring a top hat, white tie and tails. he would say "If this acts dies, I'm dressed for it."