ENS Cynthia (Celia) Adams Lomax Oral History

title:

ENS Cynthia (Celia) Adams Lomax Oral History

creator:

Lomax, Cellia Adams (1909 March 22 - )

subject:

Navy WAVES

description:

Celia A. Lomax (formerly Adams) was born on March 22, 1909 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. She graduated from Smith College in 1933 and worked in women’s wear procurement at Jordan Marsh Company in Boston, Massachusetts until she joined the Navy WAVES. Since World War II had started, she also volunteered as an air raid warden in Boston, so she felt the transition into military service was natural. She chose to enlist in the Navy WAVES in December 1942 because that was the branch her family had historically joined. She was sworn in as a midshipman and was sent to officers’ training at Smith College, reporting two days before Christmas and being assigned to the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. She spent six weeks at Smith College for general training before going to Radcliffe College in the first group of WAVES trained for the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. Her first assignment was in Washington, DC, first with the Personnel Office but soon after getting moved to the Radar Department. In this department, she didn’t need any technical knowledge about radars, and was mostly in charge of drawing up and handling contracts and negotiating with manufacturers. She met her husband, another Naval officer with another segment of the Procurement Department in DC, in June 1943, and they were married in early August to try and get more time together before he was maybe shipped out to the Pacific or Europe. After their10-day honeymoon, he was assigned to the Philadelphia Navy Yard and she requested a transfer there too. They granted this transfer and the two of them moved to Philadelphia. Shortly after, in May 1944, Lomax discovered she was pregnant and received an honorable discharge. When she left the service Lomax had reached the rank of ensign, and for her service she was awarded an American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. A transcript of this interview is available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Johnson, Ellen Watson

date:

1988-09-27

type:

Audio

format:

Cassette

identifier:

577; 1988.577

source:

NSCD | CLIR - Recordings at Risk

language:

English

relation:

055386

coverage:

World War II (1939-1945) | 1942-44

rights:

Unrestricted