1LT Jean D. Helms Oral History

title:

1LT Jean D. Helms Oral History

creator:

Helms, Jean D. (Morris) (1920 February 26 - )

subject:

Army Medical Specialist Corps

description:

Jean D. Helms (formerly Morris) was born on February 26, 1920 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1942 and taught for two years before applying to the physical therapy program at Bushnell General Hospital in Brigham City, Utah. After one year of training, she was commissioned as apart of the Army Medical Specialist Corps in 1945 and went to basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington. After finishing training, she was stationed at Madigan Convalescent Hospital that was at Fort Lewis. While stationed there she met her future husband, who was a patient wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. She remained stationed at that hospital for two and a half years, going to nearby lakes and Mount Rainier for fun when she had the time. She and her husband were married in 1946 while they were both still in the Army, living together in an apartment off-base. Her husband went before the retirement board and they decided he was still fit, so he was stationed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Helms left the service in 1947, so she moved with him, and they had two children in 1948 and 1952. They spent one year in Korea because he was stationed there, and he was also stationed in Okinawa, Japan, so Helms traveled by troop ship with their two children to join him there for another year. From there, they traveled to and lived in Nashville, Tennessee; Harrogate, England; and other cities all around Europe. He was stationed in Falls Church, Virginia when he retired in 1967 after 25 years of service. She didn’t work in physical therapy after her military service, focusing instead on raising their children and doing volunteer work with various organizations. Upon her discharge in 1947 Helms had reached the rank of 1st lieutenant, and for her service she was awarded an American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. No transcript of this interview is currently available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Driver, Wanda

date:

2007-05-22

type:

Audio

format:

Cassette

identifier:

420; 2007.420

source:

CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

498057

coverage:

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

rights:

Unrestricted