Remembering Genevieve: A Memorial Day Tribute
Women have been fighting for our country since the stars began to glisten next to the red, white and blue. Women often helped as seamstresses, nurses, and cooks, openly helping the men they loved cope with the woes of war. Then there were women who lobbed off their hair, bound their breasts flat with bandages, and donned woolen uniforms, hidden in plain sight amongst the men they were willing to die beside.
In the early 1940’s the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) was birthed into existence, forever changing the way wartime would look for women. Women from all over the country walked away from their kitchens, many for the first time, and headed to the enlistment office. On January 14, 1944, a young newlywed named Genevieve enlisted in Elmira, NY. My grandmother went to New Hampshire for training and was eventually stationed in Africa.
While most women were switchboard operators, bakers, or mechanics, my grandmother worked with the Army photographer. She took photos, assisted photographers, and repaired equipment. Africa’s climate was hard for her to adjust to and she ended up being discharged after developing frequent migraines that would plague her for the rest of her life.
Speaking of Africa, check out the mahogany statue that I inherited and some of the photos my grandmother took while she was there. It is proudly displayed in our house and I like to think they make the dining room a little less lonely.
The adversity the WACs faced upon returning home was overwhelming for many women. They’d return home hated, with families and friends disgusted by the ideology that they had abandoned their place in the home. My grandmother was a woman of many talents and I feel like that’s how she coped with whatever she faced upon her return.
I’m told she could take a revolver and using a mirror, aim it over her shoulder and shoot a dime. She’d fish for hours and clean her lot better than any fishmonger. She’d climb any mountain to gather blueberries and blackberries, regardless of how big the bears. She was, in my eyes, an anomaly of sorts.
Shortly after marrying my grandfather (her second husband), she decided to go to beauty school. After graduation, they moved home and carried on to her next grand venture. She had taken cake decorating classes, worked in a lingerie factory, and was an active member of her church.
I learned so much from her and I’m so blessed that she fueled my sense of adventure. We’d make homemade play dough, go apple picking, go fishing for dinner, go on trips, design and sew our own Barbie clothes, and fearlessly floor it on the back roads to the point where I thought we would going to fly right over the river (don’t worry, we always had seatbelts on!). The time we spent together was incredible, and while I was so proud of my grandmother for many things, the fact that she served our country and helped pave the way for today’s fearless servicewomen is probably what makes my heart burst with pride the most.
This Memorial Day I spent time being grateful for my grandmother and her service to our country. We are so blessed to have all brave men and women protecting us and our freedom. Be sure to remember those who have given their lives for us and continue to do so every day.