Erma Frances Fletcher, interviewed by Amy L. Stevens

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

Stevens, Amy L. (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

NA4195 Erma Frances Fletcher, interviewed by Amy L. Stevens, April 24, 2003, in Dexter, Maine. Fletcher, age 79, talks about her family history; her early life; working in a factory after high school; the stigma against female military service; enlisting in the Navy in World War II; her basic training experiences; marching for President Roosevelt; surviving on a small stipend; missing out on serving in Manila; her transcription work; how she spent her leisure time; meeting her husband during the war; regretting not staying in the service after 1946; moving to Washington, D.C. after her service; her sense of patriotism during the war; whether she would recommend enlisting in that time period; working under female superior officers in training and male afterwards; doing kitchen police (KP) duty; losing weight in basic training; women dropping out during basic training; her reception upon returning as a veteran; and whether her military experience changed her. Also included: print of photo. Text: 14 pp. transcript. Recording: No recording. Photograph: p14498, detail p14499. Restrictions: None.