Christine DiPompo, interviewed by Sarah Beazley

Series

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Maine Women Veterans Oral History Project collected oral interviews with women veterans through a collaborative effort of the Maine commission on women veterans, the Maine Studies program at UMaine, and the Women Studies program at UMaine. Includes WWII, Vietnam, and Desert Storm.

Dates

Creation: 2000-2003

Creator

Beazley, Sarah (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

For digitized items free from access restrictions, we are working to upload this material (pdfs, mp3s, jpgs) for public access, but it is an ongoing project. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, contact Special Collections (um.library.spc@maine.edu).

Extent

From the Collection: 68 items

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Abstract

NA4194 Christine DiPompo, interviewed by Sarah Beazley, May 15, 2003, in her home in Brewer, Maine. DiPompo, age 82, talks about her family background; joining the Women's Army Corps in World War II; her basic training experiences; barracks life; her work as a W.A.C. lab technician; married women being forced out of the lab; working a second job at a plastics factory; her treatment from her male and female superiors; visiting home; social life during the war; meeting her husband, a fellow lab technician; her family and friends’ reaction to her enlistment; the W.A.C.’s scandalous reputation; lesbians in the W.A.C.; her most memorable W.A.C. experience; the relationships she formed during the war; her civilian work as a lab technician; her family life; how her service has shaped the rest of her life; whether she would do it all over again; whether she encouraged her daughters to enlist; her brother’s military service; and changes in the role of women in the military. Text: 15 pp. transcript. Recording: No recording. Photograph: p14496, detail p14497. Restrictions: None.