Tech 5 Mary Crawford Ragland Oral History

title:

Tech 5 Mary Crawford Ragland Oral History

creator:

Ragland, Mary Crawford (1927 April 15 - 2010 July 30)

subject:

Women's Army Corps (WAC)

description:

Mary C. Ragland was born on April 15, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia, and was raised in Wilmington, Delaware. Both of her birth parents died of pneumonia in their early 30s, so he was raised by friends of theirs from the church. Growing up, she lived in an area that was very diverse and didn't really experience segregation. Having black and white friends and neighbors was very normal for her. One day she was home with her mother who showed her a newspaper ad calling for black women to join the army and go overseas, saying that if she were younger she would absolutely go. Mary went downtown right away to do so herself, and although her father "hit the ceiling" when he found out about it, her parents both gave their permission for her to go at the age of just 17 and 7 months, right out of high school. After traveling around to several bases for training, she ended up at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia before heading overseas. While in the 6888th Postal Battalion Mary was the Company Clerk, so she did all the typing and filing for the entire battalion. She also trained to be in the Special Service as a dancer, traveling to Military Hospitals in her free time with the group to perform for patients. While overseas, the 6888th went from Birmingham, England to Rouen, France to Paris, France. After returning to the US and leaving the service in 1946, Mary went to Howard University using the G.I. Bill, where she met her husband. They then went to New York City, where she worked in several different fields so they could save enough to go to Europe. They eventually did, and she worked for some time with UNICEF in Paris before returning to the US and eventually settling in Washington, DC. When asked, Mary wouldn't change a single choice she made in her life and stated her hope that the 6888th be remembered in history on the same level of the Tuskegee Airmen. Mary was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. She passed away in July 2010 at the age of 89. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Scott, Kate M.

date:

2005-01-11

type:

Moving Image

format:

Hi-8

identifier:

763; 2005.763

source:

OHP

language:

English

relation:

144341

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945) | 1945-1946

rights:

Restricted