Tech3 Anne Marie Steiner Oral History Tape 1, Side A

title:

Tech3 Anne Marie Steiner Oral History Tape 1, Side A

creator:

Steiner, Anne Marie (Frodsen)

subject:

Women's Army Corps (WAC)

description:

Tape 1 of 2, side 1 of 2. Anne Marie Steiner was born in Norway in a town called Mjondalen, where she lived for almost seven years. Her parents were Norwegian immigrants who had met after immigrating to the United States separately, both ending up on the west coast and meeting aboard a ship and marrying in Mercer Island, Washington in 1916. Her father was a mason-contractor, so the family moved often along the west coast. Her brother was born in Bend, Oregon, another brother who did not live long was born in Seattle, Washington, and her mother became pregnant with her while living there, but she was born in Norway in 1920. The family returned to the United States seven years later: her parents, older brother, and younger brother. The family settled in Seattle, Washington and after she graduated from a local high school, she attended the University of Washington and majored in journalism and English. She graduated from college in 1942 and went to California for work, first with the US Army Engineers in San Francisco then in Long Beach with Wilmington Steel. She enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps at the Westlake Mall in Seattle, Washington after Norway had been attacked in 1943. From there, she went to Monticello, Arkansas for basic training, then to Camp Edwards, Massachusetts on a bivouac. She was assigned to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which she was excited for as she had requested overseas service. She went to Washington, D C to meet the other WACs chosen for OSS, then to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia for overseas training in the summer of 1943. After six weeks there, they went to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey to prepare to ship out. Her office was in Grosvenor Square in London, England, and they would drill in Hyde Park. She was an assistant to the Norwegian section of the OSS, translating and doing office work as the secretary to the head of the Norwegian section Naval commander. She later did the same work for the Danish section. She met her husband while working in London, marrying after six months and having their first of six children soon after the war ended. She received her discharge in 1946 and returned to Seattle with her husband. When she left the service Steiner had reached the rank of technician 3rd class, and for her service she was awarded an American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. No transcript of this interview is currently available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Binker, Mary Jo

date:

2000-10-04

type:

Audio

format:

Cassette

identifier:

890.01; 2000.890

source:

CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

589370

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945)

rights:

Unrestricted