Lt Col Therese Slone-Baker, USAF Ret. Oral History Side A

title:

Lt Col Therese Slone-Baker, USAF Ret. Oral History Side A

creator:

Slone-Baker, Therese "Terri" (1917 October 11 - )

subject:

Women's Army Corps (WAC) | AF Reserve

description:

Side 1 of 2. Therese “Terri” Slone-Baker (formerly Slone) was born on October 11, 1917 in New York City, New York. By the time she was 18 her mother was raising her alone, so she began working right after graduating high school to help her out. She did administrative work at a department store in the city before applying to work a Civil Service job, moving to Washington, DC to work for the Social Security Administration. She continued working there for some time after the United States joined World War II, but felt that she should do more to contribute. She transferred to another Civil Service job at the US Maritime Commission in Long Beach, California. She still felt she wasn’t doing enough there, but her boss would not release her from her position until the war was winding down in 1945, which he could do since it was a defense industry position. She went to the Army recruiting office nearby and enlisted in January. She was assigned to the Army Air Forces and went to Fort Des Moines, Iowa for basic training. She finished training in April 1945 and was assigned to Camp Davis, North Carolina to work at the separation center there. When the camp was closed in June 1945, she requested to go overseas to Japan. She went back to Fort De Moines to train for overseas service, but did not get shipped out before the war in Japan ended. She was instead sent to Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania to work for the Chief of Personnel. She was meant to be moved out with the other WACs when it became a separation center, but her boss requested she get another assignment and she instead was reassigned to recruiting duty out of Baltimore, Maryland. There, she worked with the American Legion to develop the Voluntary American Legion Army Recruiting (VALAR) plan, which was meant to replenish the ranks of the military while in peacetime. She wanted to see and support her mother again so she left the service in September 1946, but both missed the work and had a hard enough time finding a new job that she rejoined the Army in 1947, quickly transferring to the Air Force Reserve when the Air Force was first established as its own branch. She was recalled to active duty, and stayed on for around 20 more years. She served stateside during the Korean War, and spent her service working in administration, personnel, and recruiting in Ohio, Germany, Bermuda, Kansas, and more. She retired in 1972, settled in San Antonio, met her husband, and married in 1975. Following her retirement, she still worked often with the Women’s Overseas League, Military Order of the World Wars, Retired Officers Association, and Women in Military Service for America. She was the Texas representative for WIMSA since some time before the 1995 dedication. When she left the service Slone-Baker had reached the rank of lieutenant colonel, and for her service she was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), National Defense Service Medal, and Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Weigand, Cindy

date:

2002-05-11

type:

Audio

format:

Cassette

identifier:

855; 2003.855

source:

CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

123814

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945) | Korean War (1950-1953) | Vietnam War (1964-1975) | 1945-46 | 1947-72

rights:

Unrestricted