Alice Starnes who celebrated her a hundredth birthday on September 23, is just not solely a member of this technology, however can be a trailblazer in her personal proper: she was certainly one of roughly 100,000 girls who volunteered to serve in a particular department of the U.S. Navy Reserve referred to as the Girls Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES).
The WAVES had been the primary of their form: up till this level, girls had been usually forbidden from uniformed army service and the concept of integrating girls had not been in style with lawmakers. Nevertheless, the Navy wanted extra males freed for sea obligation, so President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an government order establishing the WAVES in July 1942.
Round that point, Starnes, who right this moment lives in Lubbock, Texas, was dwelling a comparatively odd life working as a schoolteacher. Nevertheless, after listening to concerning the WAVES from radio and newspaper commercials, she felt compelled to behave, and enlisted in 1943.
“Everybody wished to do their half, and so I volunteered,” mentioned Starnes.
She attended boot camp at Hunter Faculty in New York Metropolis, which was referred to as the U.S. Naval Coaching Heart (Girls’s Reserve). She mentioned her clearest reminiscence from that point was a weekend go to from Frank Sinatra, who had been supporting the struggle effort by giving free concert events for service members. After her preliminary coaching was over, Starnes mentioned the subsequent step was sorting the ladies in accordance with their strengths after which giving them their preliminary task.
“We got a barrage of checks, they usually determined I wanted to be within the pilot program,” mentioned Starnes.
Although she in all probability didn’t comprehend it on the time, this system that Starnes had been chosen for would become essential to the struggle effort. She transferred to Naval Air Station Atlanta, the place she was schooled within the operation of the Hyperlink Coach. In any other case referred to as the “blue field,” the Hyperlink Coach was certainly one of aviation’s first flight simulators and skilled pilots fly with out the usage of visible references.
After finishing faculty in Atlanta, Starnes transferred to what was then referred to as Naval Auxiliary Air Station Corry Subject in Pensacola, Florida. There, together with different WAVES, she used her data of the Hyperlink Coach to organize over 1,000 American and British aviators for deployment abroad.
“We taught the younger pilots fly by devices solely,” mentioned Starnes. “They needed to learn to fly at night time. They couldn’t very nicely fly over Germany and never know their devices.”
By 1945, Starnes had transferred as soon as once more to Naval Outlying Touchdown Subject Barin in Foley, Alabama, the place she continued her work with the naval aviation neighborhood. When the struggle ended, Starnes mentioned she traveled to New York Metropolis and took part within the joyful victory celebrations there.
“We marched down fifth Avenue for miles and miles,” mentioned Starnes. “We had been so exhausted by the point the parade ended, we didn’t even go on liberty. We went again to the dormitory.”
After greater than two years, Starnes left the WAVES with the rank of Specialist Trainer 2nd Class and returned to her former life. Although her personal service was over, Starnes’ life since World Warfare II has stayed carefully entwined with the Navy. She went on to marry a Navy chaplain and has a son and granddaughter who’re each Navy veterans.
“We’re a Navy household,” mentioned Starnes.
Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, U.S. Navy Vice Chief of Naval Operations, acknowledged Starnes for her service by sending her a letter on her a hundredth birthday wherein she writes, “Thanks for setting our Navy on a course that enabled girls like me to guide on the highest ranges of our Navy! I’m so grateful on your service.”
Alice mentioned that her years within the Navy had been so significant to her and receiving Franchetti’s letter was such an exquisite feeling.
When considering again on her service, Starnes all the time retains in thoughts that she was a small a part of a a lot larger image. She was not the one member of her household to help the struggle effort: her youthful brother served within the Navy and her sister labored in a manufacturing unit producing struggle provides in Los Angeles. Though she is happy with her service, Starnes mentioned that, like so many different members of America’s Biggest Era, she had merely answered the decision of historical past.
“I used to be doing my obligation for my nation, which loads of different folks had been additionally doing,” mentioned Starnes. “The folks in the USA had been so great. I can’t even say how we did it.”
