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SGT Lilly Harper Oral History
Publication date: 30 July 2024
File metadata
Dublin Core Metadata
title:
SGT Lilly Harper Oral History
creator:
Harper, Lilly (Bienvenu) (1917 October 20 - 2006 January 31) | Harper, Larry
subject:
Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) | Women's Army Corps (WAC)
description:
This interview was conducted with Lilly Harper’s husband Larry Harper on her behalf. Lilly Harper (formerly Beinvenu) was born on October 30, 1917 in St. Martinville, Louisiana. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in library science before World War II began. Her father had been a pilot, and when women were allowed to enlist during World War II her sister joined the Navy WAVES. Harper enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1943. She went to basic training at Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia, and while there she was recruited into the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to teach cryptography since she spoke French fluently. In November 1943, she went with OSS Communications to Algiers, Algeria. In 1944 they went to Caserta, Italy, and by the time the war was coming to a close in 1945 they had moved to Rome. She met her husband in while serving, working long hours together while overseas. Harper left the service in July 1945 and married her husband in 1946. After her discharge, Harper was recruited to be apart of the CIA. Her work during the war was largely communicating with French agents and summarizing reports translated from and to French. Although they were sometimes bombed, they were much safer than other OSS agents who were further out in the field. Upon her discharge, Harper had reached the rank of sergeant, and for her service she was awarded a World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. Lilly Harper passed away on January 31, 2006. No transcript of this interview is currently available.
publisher:
Military Women's Memorial Foundation
contributor:
Driver, Wanda
date:
2006-09-20
type:
Audio
format:
Cassette
identifier:
398; 2006.398
source:
CLIR - Recordings at Risk
language:
English
relation:
030789
coverage:
World War II (1939-1945) | 1943-45
rights:
Unrestricted