CWO4 Elizabeth Frances Splaine, USCG Ret. Oral History

title:

CWO4 Elizabeth Frances Splaine, USCG Ret. Oral History

creator:

Splaine, Elizabeth Frances "Betty" (1920 June 18 - 2009 October 29)

subject:

Coast Guard SPARs | Coast Guard | Women's Memorial Foundation

description:

Elizabeth "Betty" Frances Splaine was born in Medford, Massachusetts on June 18, 1920. When she was in third grade her family moved to Sommerville, Massachusetts, and she graduated from Sommerville High School in 1938. Her father had won $50,000 the year before, so after graduating Betty was sent on a trip to Ireland with her younger brother to meet her father's family. By the time she got back from this trip it was too late to apply to most universities, so she ended up attending a business school, Burdett College, in Boston. After graduating from there, she worked as a secretary for the treasurer at a construction company in Chelsea, Massachusetts for a couple of years. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she and a coworker both decided to join the service, but at the time she could only sign up to enter the civil service. Betty initially got a state civil service job, but it was quickly absorbed by the federal government and she gained Federal Civil Service status. When the WAVES were established she thought of joining them, but instead went with the Coast Guard because of how active they were in the Boston area. Despite resistance from her father, she joined and was sent to boot camp with the WAVES at Hunter College in New York in 1943. After finishing boot camp Betty was sent to Washington, DC, where she worked recruiting male enlisted personnel. While her boss was initially incredibly hostile to the idea of women in the military, he came around eventually and recommended Betty for promotion at every opportunity. She also met several other musicians while there, and while they weren't in a completely formal band, they'd practice after work hours and were invited to play at parades and for returning troops on top of their regular jobs. In 1946, she was demobilized along with all the other women who had joined the Coast Guard, so she got a job doing coordination and planning as a part of the VA. From there, she started working at the Salary Stabilization Board, and then as the executive secretary of the American Association of Teachers, Professors, and Educators. Around this time, she became one of the first women to re-join the Coast Guard after demobilization, joining the reserves in 1950. She returned to active duty in 1952 and worked in DC in the administration of the Reserve program. In 1958, she became the first woman warrant officer in the Coast Guard and was transferred to the Admiral's office, a position she remained in until retiring in 1970. She retired in part because working was keeping her from the nonprofits she worked with, so upon retiring she remained very active in several DC and veterans organizations including 51 years with the Cherry Blossom Festival (as of the interview), the Massachusetts Society, the Military Women's Memorial, and her Coast guard chapter of the Reserve Officer's Association. For her service, Betty was awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal, Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and National Defense Service Medal. Betty passed away in October 2009. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Scott, Kate M.

date:

2004-04-16

type:

Audio

format:

Hi-8

identifier:

879; 2004.879

source:

OHP

language:

English

relation:

008316

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945) | 1950s | 1960s | 1943-1946, 1951-1970

rights:

Unrestricted