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SKD1 Rita M. Braloski Oral History
Publication date: 17 July 2024
File metadata
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title:
SKD1 Rita M. Braloski Oral History
creator:
Braloski, Rita (Bury) (1922 December 6 - 2010 October 18)
subject:
Navy WAVES
description:
Rita M. Braloski (formerly Bury) was born on December 6, 1922 in St. Louis, Missouri. She first was interested in joining the military at 18 after graduating high school when she saw a picture of four women who served in different military branches walking together in uniform in Forrest Park. She was only 19 when women were allowed to enlist, so as soon as she turned 20 she got her parents’ permission and joined the Navy WAVES. Although her dad was skeptical at first, he figured that she would sign up when she reached 21 anyways and supported her enlistment. She signed up in November 1942 and got her orders in March 1943. She went to one month of basic training at Hunter College in New York, then went to Storekeepers school in Milledgeville, Georgia for another three months. From there, Braloski was stationed in Great Lakes, Illinois, 9th Naval District to work in payroll. While there, she doesn’t remember any harassment or men unhappy to see them on the base—other than the man she freed up to be shipped out when she arrived. She worked there until her discharge in February 1946, returning to her job from before enlisting at J.C. Penny in St. Louis. A month later, she married her husband Emil Braloski, a neighbor who had also served in the Navy during the war. Several decades down the line, she joined the American Legion Post 404. Braloski left the service with the rank of Store Keeper First Class D, and was awarded the American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. Braloski passed away on October 18, 2010. A transcript of this interview is available.
publisher:
Military Women's Memorial Foundation
contributor:
Watkins, Beverly
date:
2007-06-12
type:
Audio
format:
CD
identifier:
1171; 2007.1171
source:
CLIR - Recordings at Risk
language:
English
relation:
011117
coverage:
World War II (1939-1945) | 1943-46
rights:
Unrestricted