As a child in grade school Ms. R had high hopes for her future. But in the eight grade a class project served to waken her to the very limited professions women could go into such as secretary, teacher, nurse, or housekeeper. The assignment being to pick any profession listed in her book, Ms. R chose forestry, and soon enough pursued this profession at the University of California. After completing the basic courses she discovered that she was not allowed to attend a required field class since all of the facilities were for men only. However, this obstacle did not stop Ms. R from getting a masters degree in librarianship from UC Berkeley, which opened the door to many other opportunities. She got to work as a librarian at on to the University’s libraries and even volunteered to travel to Morocco to teach Kindergarten and work as a librarian.

The role of homemaker never appealed much to Ms. R. After college most women were expected to marry and raise families. During the war, she saw her chance to be on her own, helping as a Red Cross staff member in military hospitals. She was quick to travel to other countries, where women were still being oppressed, and discouraged from active lifestyles. One of her fondest memories working with the Red Cross, was when she was asked to try anything that she could to help the suffering soldiers that were staying in a vacated school. If only bringing soap and toothbrushes to soldiers, just seeing the smile on their faces was enough. She enjoyed bringing joy to the battle fatigued, and helping give them a sense of family, by being their surrogate sister, while their own families were countries away. By living her life in this fashion, she unknowingly helped enlighten women with the strength to be independent. During the Korean War, she was one of the first women allowed into Korea, as well as one of the few women let into North Korea. When we asked if she felt as if she made an impact on the women’s roles in society, she was quick to deny it. Yet in our minds she forever changed the way women are treated and respected. Not only did she shed light on the plight of woment in the United States, but we felt that if even in a small way, she helped to open the eyes of women in other countries. Her courage and bravery, in working so close to the front, showed us her willingness to look past her personal concerns to help others in their time of need.

Not only did she have the unique opportunity to help in the wars our great country faced, she really has seen it all. As a young girl, she was a victim of the Great Depression. In hearing her memories, tales of this incredibly hard period of life, we were awakened to the truth behind our own families’ history. We were able to see the reasoning behind our grandparents’ actions, such as the endless supply of random string balls, or the random coffee cans that were tucked away in cabinets. We learned that during this difficult period, many people were forced to be as resourceful as they could. Coffee cans often served as baking pans for brown bread, and string was dedicated to every use imaginable, such as wrapping packages and letters. Yards were transformed into victory gardens, to help feed the family, as well as other families in need. Sometimes a woman in the neighborhood would bake bread daily for the other families in order to make money for milk and other family needs. This opened our minds to our grandparents’ thrifty ways, and their continuance to keep up even a small garden in the back yard.

When we asked Ms. R what her fondest memories were, she answered humbly, but gave us so much insight into her truly amazing and busy life. She recalled traveling the country and the world, which is something we hope to fulfill in our lives as well. She told usof her decision to run for president of the school district teacher’s association, which at the time was primarily for males. Despite opposition from a male opponent she won and held the honor of being a woman “in a man’s job.” She also had the distinct opportunity to meet with President Eisenhower on television, as Poster Girl for the Red Cross. She was also a character on a radio show and was played by a well-known actress at the time.

We were truly amazed at all of her accomplishments and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of her history. We will forever be impacted by the beautiful spirit inside Ms. R, and will never forget this truly unique experience.