Laura M. Trexler Oral History Tape 1, Side A

title:

Laura M. Trexler Oral History Tape 1, Side A

creator:

Trexler, Laura May

subject:

Navy WAVES

description:

Tape 1 of 2, side 1 of 2. Laura May Trexler was born on May 26, 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but moved to her grandmother’s farm in Trexler, Pennsylvania with her family in 1915 after her mother died. Her father didn’t think women needed to or should go to college, so in 1929 she withdrew all the money in her bank account to attend college at West Chester University. This was a two-year school at the time, and she got an education certification to teach grades four, five, and six. She graduated on her birthday, which was good since she couldn’t teach until she turned 18. She taught sixth grade for four years in a district her uncle had worked in before, then moved to Pottstown, which was one town over, in 1935. While teaching at an elementary school there, she also attended Temple University and got a master’s degree in Administration and Guidance. In September 1942 she began working at a junior high but quickly realized the school wasn’t for her, so she decided to enlist in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps after it was created. When she showed up to the recruitment office, she was shocked by the state of it and decided to wait for a while. She was still waiting when the Navy WAVES was created, and decided to enlist with them in May 1943. Her father attended her graduation from Temple, which closely followed her enlistment. She hadn’t told him she joined the military, and her academic advisor let it slip when they were all getting a meal together. He was very upset, but there was nothing he could do to stop her. They went to eight weeks of officer’s training at Smith College in June 1943. After training, her first assignment was at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station in Texas, where she worked in an officer’s training school writing tests and handbooks for incoming men. She fell twice while stationed there, and after her second tumble she had to receive surgery on her hip. After her surgery, she was stationed in San Diego, California where she set up educational programs that helped men who hadn’t received high school diplomas learn enough to earn them. The programs helped men who had gone in before the war and wanted access to the GI Bill afterwards, but couldn’t use it until they had a diploma or GED. Although her first surgery was broadly successful, there was still long-term damage to her hips and back that led to her medical discharge in 1947. She stayed in California and began a recording company that was focused on weddings, which she left to return to Pottstown because of her back and hip troubles. When she left the service Trexler had reached the rank of at least lieutenant, and for her service she was awarded an American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Slewitzke, Connie

date:

2002-10-10

type:

Audio

format:

Cassette

identifier:

940.01; 2002.940

source:

CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

133126

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945) | 1943-47

rights:

Unrestricted