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YN2 Peggy Joy Helander Oral History
Publication date: 30 July 2024
File metadata
Dublin Core Metadata
title:
YN2 Peggy Joy Helander Oral History
creator:
Helander, Peggy Joy (Burckle) (1924 October 15 - )
subject:
Navy WAVES
description:
Peggy Joy Helander (formerly Burckle) was born on October 15, 1924 in Green Bay, Wisconsin and grew up there with three siblings. She graduated from high school at 16, and although she wanted to serve like her older brother, she wouldn’t be able to until she turned 19 years old, so she attended the University of Wisconsin in the meantime. On her 19th birthday in 1944, she enlisted in the Navy WAVES and went to boot camp at Hunter College in New York. After boot camp, she requested to be stationed anywhere except Washington, DC, which is exactly where she was stationed for the rest of her service. Her work was mostly in writing contracts related to the purchase and disposal of weaponry. Although she initially didn’t want to be there, Helander greatly enjoyed her time in DC, living near Arlington National Cemetery. After President Roosevelt passed away, she joined many other WAVES in marching in his funeral procession. While in DC, she took night classes at George Washington University with the goal of teaching American literature in high school after the war. After her discharge in 1946, she returned to Green Bay and initially planned on attending Marquette University, but returned to the University of Wisconsin instead. She graduated with a degree in education but didn’t end up teaching like she had planned, marrying a paraplegic veteran who had used the GI Bill to get a library science degree and worked at a law library in Green Bay and having three children. When she left the service Helander had reached the rank of yeoman 2nd class, and for her service she was awarded a Navy Good Conduct Medal, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. No transcript of this interview is currently available.
publisher:
Military Women's Memorial Foundation
contributor:
Bellafaire, Judy
date:
2003-10-28
type:
Audio
format:
Cassette
identifier:
418; 2003.418
source:
CLIR - Recordings at Risk
language:
English
relation:
041757
coverage:
World War II (1939-1945) | 1944-46
rights:
Unrestricted