SSG Jean S. Ringuette, USA Ret. Oral History

title:

SSG Jean S. Ringuette, USA Ret. Oral History

creator:

Ringuette, Jean (Stewart)

subject:

Women's Army Corps (WAC)

description:

Jean S. Ringuette (formerly Stewart) was born in Boston Massachusetts, likely in 1921 (Jean could not remember the exact date). She went to school in Weymouth, Massachusetts until her final year of high school graduating from Brookline High School in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1940. She worked several jobs before her enlistment during World War II, with her final position being as a telephone operator while attending courses to be a special service operator. She enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps as soon as she could in 1942, going through four weeks of basic training at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and being assigned to another company and regiment at Oglethorpe as a supply clerk. She remained at Fort Oglethorpe as a supply clerk and training troops in marching and physical fitness for about a year. She volunteered to go overseas, and in 1944 she shipped out to Naples, Italy for a few days then to North Africa, and back to Italy with the Army Headquarters as a telephone operator in the Signal Corps. She was on a shift as an operator when the end of the war was announced and celebrated in the office. Her mother was a great inspiration for Jean’s choice to enlist because she had served in the British Army during World War I, working in a casualties office in France for two years. Ringuette remained in the service through the end of the war and took a six month break from service between 1945 and 1946 to take care of her mother, who was ill at the time. She went back into the Women’s Army Corps after that break, and served for 20 years before retiring. After the war ended, most of her work was in administrative offices, including payroll and personnel. She had to learn how to quickly and accurately write morning reports that shared who was present, on duty, sick, on leave, and in transit to or from their base. She officially retired from the service in 1963. She married much later in life, after her service and when she moved into a retirement home. When she left the service Ringuette had reached the rank of staff sergeant, and for her service she was awarded an Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal with a silver clasp with 4 loops, Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Army Overseas Service Ribbon. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Giagtzis, Tessa

date:

2008-02-17

type:

Audio

format:

CD

identifier:

1130; 2008.1130

source:

VHP | Connelly School of the Holy Child | CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

201629

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945) | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1942-45 | 1946-63

rights:

Unrestricted