Virginia Beach pair reminisces on trailblazer days

  • 2015-11-21
Two Virginia Beach women who were recognized this past Veterans Day were among the first females to join up.

The celebration took place in Sentara Nursing Center. Both of the women, Gloria Woolard and Helen Via, were former members of the Navy’s WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services) program, which had been set up to allow more women to join their ranks. They got together to share memories about their time in the military and what it had been like for them and the other women who had participated in the WAVES initiative. A printer can design and then Print Banners to help mark a special occasion such as this

Woolard rose to the rank of Navy Chief, while Via was a telegrapher who had moved from her home in New York to work at the Ferry Air Command in California. Both of the ladies eventually retired form service and eventually ended up living in the nursing center.

Women were not always allowed to join the military, so these two ladies helped to pave the way for others to do so. Woolard noted that for many years, she was usually the only woman in the room when there was a meeting or function, as at that time, there were still only a handful of women in military service.
Get a Free Quote for Banners Get a Free Quote for Print