I had no idea what was meant by “The Greatest Generation” until I spoke with Alice Wilkinson. She is a congenial 82 year-old woman that illuminated me with her candor and her kindness. She contributed all she could and more to aid America in World War II. She remains humble about her service because in her generation everyone gave more than they had. I don’t know if Mrs. Wilkinson will ever realize the importance of her sacrifice; but after I spoke with her, I had a greater appreciation of her generation.

I was born in Michigan City, Indiana [in]* 1923. My mother died when I was real young so then my dad married another lady from Pennsylvania; and we moved to Pennsylvania. It (the Depression)** was not a very good time because so many men lost their jobs; and well, we went on relief more or less. My father, got a job with Alcoa; and so, he worked for them for quite a while.

I went to high school in New Kensington, Pennsylvania and majored in business. High school wasn’t too exciting. I belonged to a club I guess. It was more or less business and typing and shorthand and that kind of thing, but I didn’t belong to anything else because they didn’t have things like they do now -- different activities. But I graduated in 1941 and I worked in a hardware store in the office. Then when I became 20 I could go into the service. I think in the Army you had to be 21, so that’s when I decided to join (the Navy).

My dad was in World War I, and I’m not sure about any of his brothers. He had several and they were probably in the military; but I don’t remember. I know my dad was in the Army during World War I and then my brother started out in the Navy and he ended up staying in the Army and retired after 20 years. My younger sister went in the Coast Guard and she might have been in the Coast Guard for two years, and I was in the Navy for 2 years. But you know that’s been so long ago. My family had served I don’t remember that much about it.

I was not very outgoing, but I wanted to do my part. Everybody wanted to do their part because Germany had crossed the line; and everybody wanted to go get rid of Germany. It was really a shocking thing when Pearl Harbor happened. Everybody was just so upset that something like that could happen and get our country involved eventually in it. It changed the whole world, I think a lot. I went in the Waves, Navy Waves. I went to New York, got through boot camp, then I went to storekeeper’s school, [in Bloomington, Indiana] and then I ended up in Olathe working in an office doing typing. That was my main work --typing orders. I was Storekeeper, Second Class. They (women in the Navy) did all kinds of jobs. They did office work, and some of them went out in the field to help the men who were fighting, although the Navy didn’t do that but the girls in the Army did. They went overseas, but they didn’t really get into battles. They just did more office work mostly. That’s been so long ago (laughs).

I didn’t feel like I really was doing that much, but there wasn’t anything else I could do. At that time, we (women in the Navy) didn’t go overseas; we were here in the country. Now I think probably now they go overseas. The women stayed and did the work that they’d (the men) been doing.

They (women in America) stayed home and did a lot of jobs that men were doing; worked in factories you know, that kind of thing because so many men were inducted into the service and someone had to do different jobs in factories. The men couldn’t do them, so they (the women) took over. Where I lived was Alcoa, an aluminum plant, a lot of women took over the jobs that men had been doing. I suppose they had to be trained, but they did go in and try and do their share whether they were in the service or at home doing work that men had done. And men, I don’t remember what age, but a lot of them went in [the military] when they were eighteen.

I think the best part was staying away from my parents (laughs), getting away from home. Of course, because way back then they were strict. You were pretty well controlled, not like it is now I don’t think. And then the war, everybody wanted to do their part. So, [we] were getting away and kind of half way being on our own. You weren’t on your own because you were under the control of the Navy. You had to do what they wanted you to do, and you didn’t get to go around. of course, you didn’t have a car, so you were pretty confined to the base. It was all right. I was glad I went in. [But] to start out with, [the worst part was] going away from home. I cried and cried (laughs). I wanted to go, but still I [had] never been away from home at all; it was a change. And then, you couldn’t do just anything you wanted to. You had to do what they told you you could do. Like, I was close to Kansas City; but very seldom got to go to Kansas City. [We were] Just more or less just stationed at the base. You had your meals there, entertainment, movies.

We (men and women) got along pretty good. So many women enlisted, and the men were going overseas because the war was going on. So, I got along real good with the men who I was around. Of course, maybe at first they (the men) resented us because we took over the jobs you know. I think there was [anti-women sentiment]; The men kind of resented us because we went in, and they were sent overseas and had to leave the country. I can understand that. They wouldn’t like that too much because a lot of them had families and had to leave them. Of course, most of the women who were in hadn’t been married, and didn’t have families. Some [men] enlisted and some didn’t really enlist but were called up for duty anyway, especially during World War II.

[In a typical day in the military we] had to get up at a certain time in the morning, and get yourself ready, dressed -- get in uniform -- get your meals and get ready to do your job. Mine was typing. Then we typed until evening, and then you couldn’t get out and go anywhere. You were just stuck right there. But they (the military) had movies and entertainment. Not too exciting compared to today. We had skirts and slacks --mostly-- skirts, and a blouse, and a jacket, and then you had a cap. Then we had certain colors of shoes too, all navy colored. We couldn’t have any civilian clothes. You had to be in uniform all the time. That was all, we had our uniforms and I think we only had two sets of our uniforms. Girls now wouldn’t want to be confined to that. You were confined to the base. You couldn’t get out and go anywhere. If you went out and you weren’t supposed to go, you were confined to the base for a certain length of time. But I didn’t have any place to go because I wasn’t from where I was stationed. It wasn’t my home originally. We were allowed to go into Kansas City to eat at a restaurant once in a while, but not very often. We were really restricted to what we could do and of course, we didn’t have cars and no way to go anywhere. I don’t recall any transportation that’d take me either. So we were just stuck at the base. That’s where I met my husband.

He (my husband) was involved in buying the things for wherever he was stationed -- like supplies for the dining room and things like that. He was a storekeeper, too, First Class Storekeeper. I was Second Class Storekeeper. He was in (the Navy) for three years. He was over in New Caledonia for two years, and then he was being sent back to the U.S. They were going to send him to the east coast or the west coast, and he said he wanted to go to Olathe near his mother’s home where he grew up.

[In 1945] we got married and had a son (Wendell). So, I got out (of the Navy) in 1945. He (my husband) stayed until the war was over. I couldn’t get out fast enough. I was ready to get out.

He (my husband) and his brothers were in coal mining, so he came back to help them. I came back and had Wendell so I didn’t work, but I was active in our American Legion post. Of course veterans could go to college, so I went to Pittsburg and got my degree in business. Jack, my husband; his uncle, Dr. Lyerla was head of the business department at the local college, and so he got after me and said you better get busy and go ‘cause you can go and it won’t cost you anything. So I went and got a degree in business, and then my husband and his brothers had a coal mine south of Pittsburg and I kept books for them. That was the extent of my using my business degree. I didn’t get another job because I did the bookwork for them, so I just didn’t care about getting another job. We lived on the farm, so I kept the books for the farm and all that. I think my husband went one year, but he wasn’t too enthused about college. They had the business he ran, the coal mine and eventually that gave out. I think there is one coal mine back in business now, but all the smaller ones quit.

[When I look back now] It is upsetting to think that all those men went overseas and were killed. That’s what’s so sad about a war. It’s terrible. They go in to help and lose their lives. It (the war) was hard on [the Families], [Because] and so many men were killed. It was very hard on so many people. Like World War I, II, all the wars. It kind of made you want to be more patriotic, and help out, and do your part if you could. It changed your life so much because you lived in a certain place, and then all of a sudden you’re someplace else. It just changed your life completely. But I’m satisfied how mine turned out. It moved me from where I was living to finally ending up here. It made me appreciate my country, thankful that I lived here instead of over in Europe or the Orient, just happy that I’m an American citizen and proud of it. I don’t have anything else I could tell you. Forty years ago I could maybe tell you more, but time passes and you kind of forget.

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Alex Sheppard 2006