Basic Training 1955, Women in the Air Force: My Story

By Ruth N. Spooner

Letters from home and letters to home during her U.S. Air Force Basic Training are scattered with humor, wonder, family history, and insights to military life. This book also includes classroom training notes that show not only extensive training of Air Force facts, statistics, rules and regulations, but also citizenship, military intelligence, security, personal/social responsibilities and character building - to name a few.

Read about how her WAF Flight 3 strives to become strong team members and excel to win the Honor Plaque four weeks in a row. She shows how daily efforts come together in support of the team effort. Continual lessons include: learning how to march in unison, make beds, store rolled clothing, go to classes, support others within the Flight, maintain good grades, clean the barracks, keep up closets and drawers to specifications getting up at 5:00 every morning and going to bed at 8:30 each night, serving as barracks guard and on various work details. These are all unique learning experiences for a nave 18 year old leaving home and family to venture out into the military world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512746648

Ruth N. Spooner

Ruth N. Spooner retired from the U.S. Mint and traveled around the United States to eventually settle in Florida. With 3 children, 6 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren scattered across the country, she has many places she can visit. Her time served in the Air Force holds fond memories for her that she shares with you in her story.

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Copyright © 2016 Ruth N. Spooner.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The Holy Bible, King James Version. New York:

American Bible Society: 1999; Bartleby.com, 2000.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4663-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4665-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4664-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016910025

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/15/2016

Contents

Family and Friends in This Story

Preface

Chapter 1 Week One

Chapter 2 Week Two

Chapter 3 Week Three

Chapter 4 Week Four

Chapter 5 Week Five

Chapter 6 Week Six

Chapter 7 Week Seven

Chapter 8 Week Eight

Chapter 9 Ninth Week

Epilogue

FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THIS STORY

This book is

dedicated to my Mom

Lil Spooner

Who devoted herself to write me every day

while I was in Basic Training

Showing support and encouragement

throughout my journey

PREFACE

I am Ruth Nellie Spooner, and this is my story. I was born in November 1936 and reached age eighteen in 1954. My dad worked in construction, building roads, running many types of heavy machinery, and was considered the best grader-man in the state of Connecticut. Mom was a housewife, who never had a driver’s license, raised five children, and cared for many state foster children over the years, preparing them for adoption.

Neither one of my parents graduated from high school, yet I always considered them to be very wise—less educated but strongly endowed with wisdom, good common sense, and strong Christian values.

We lived in a house that my parents owned, purchased in 1950 when I entered high school. That was unusual, to own their home with Dad’s low income. The house was heated by coal (or wood), which my dad had to stoke up every morning in the winter months. When we were able, wood was brought in, free, to save on coal expenses. Also, the kitchen stove was a wood-burning, or coal, stove (not electric or gas). As a woodstove, a fire had to be started and going good before any cooking could be done.

Because Dad worked in construction running various machines, many cold, snowy winters he didn’t work, and money was tight. The exception was that in a big snowstorm, Dad was out plowing roads all night long— which happened many times each winter in Connecticut. In 1955, all of my brothers lived at home except George, who had married when I was a junior in high school. George and Gerry lived next door in the little cottage on our property.

Coming from a low-income family with five children, the prospect of going to college for a girl in 1954 was not an option financially. For me, I wanted to get out and see the world. Some would call that desire wanderlust.

As I approached my senior year, not knowing what I would do after high school, I attended a church youth group gathering where a representative from the Women in the Air Force (WAF) talked about the opportunities of joining. Since I did not want to get a job, marry the boy next door, and never leave small-town America I found this idea very appealing.

If I joined the Air Force, they would provide my housing, training, even clothing, and I would be paid to work for them—and be able to travel! To me, it was more appealing than college, where I would need scholarships, would have to work while I attended college and study hard. In high school my grades averaged B plus, and I had to study very hard for these grades, not to mention how much I worried during my studying and trying to make good grades.

I told my parents in my senior year that I wanted to join the Air Force. Since I was only seventeen when I graduated from high school, I got a job working in the office of Assembled Products to wait until I turned eighteen. As it was around Thanksgiving when I became eighteen, it made sense to wait until after Christmas to join.

As we approached the end of December, I took the steps, made the calls, applied to join, and was mustered into the Air Force as a WAF on January 11, 1955. Here I was, a small-town girl from Milford, Connecticut, who had never left the state, venturing out into the world—the military world—as a naïve eighteen-year-old who led a sheltered, loving, Christian-based family life.

On the day I signed up, I met Sherry, a fellow joinee. We immediately became friends and remain friends to this day.

My family took me to the New Haven airport on Tuesday, January 11, and watched me board an American Airlines plane to LaGuardia Airport, New York City. I was so excited to be going on this new adventure. There was no reason for me to be sentimental, sad, or worried.

Mom said the greatest thing to me as we said our good-bye. I wish I could have done something like this when I was your age! To me that was the permission (that I didn’t realize until much later) that allowed me to love every part of my adventure.

These letters that I wrote while I was in basic training were saved by Mom, and I saved the letters she and others wrote to me. Sixty years ago! The letters are entered by the date written, and when one of us missed writing that day, the next letter will be entered. Except for a few grammatical corrections, each letter is entered as written.

In addition to the letters that were saved, I found my notebook from the classes we were given during basic training. Most of the notes are easy to understand; a few are a bit jumbled. These class notes are placed at the end of each chapter. Each chapter represents one week of basic training. Also, near the end of each chapter, before the class information, I have added comments with more explanation of details that were not told in either my letters to home or Mom’s letters to me.

Because reading letters back and forth might be boring to someone who does not know me, my family, or what the military life was like then, I also included background information about my family, and my thoughts as I typed this book.

Additionally, I included explanatory words within some of the written letters, for clarification.

My diary, which I kept for the first half of 1955, helped me fill in more information and explanation of events and facts that were not contained in any of the letters.

This is my story of Air Force Basic Training—1955.

CHAPTER 1

Week One

My hometown, Milford Connecticut, is located on Long Island Sound between Bridgeport to the southwest and New Haven, which is the home of Yale University, to the northeast. My parents bought our house in 1950 - the year I started my freshman year of high school. At the back of the property was a small cottage that provided rental income for my parents. When my brother George married, he and his wife, Gerry, lived in the cottage.

Milford High School was in a brand-new modern building located in the center of Milford, near the Milford Green. The school was built in an octagon shape with an outdoor green area in the center. This two-story structure let each classroom have windows to the outside. I was bussed to school, the ride taking almost a half hour as we picked up other teenagers along the beach road to Milford center.

The area where I lived was called down the beach as we were only blocks away from Long Island Sound. My three oldest brothers went to Bullard Havens Technical School in Bridgeport. I met my best friend, Elaine, riding the school bus. She lived four blocks away from me. Other friends, Laurel (Lally) and Issie, also lived down the beach.

My Air Force journey started near the end of December when I contacted the recruiting office in New Haven about wanting to join up after the first of the year. I was required to go to its facility in New Haven where doctors gave me a physical that I had to pass before I could officially join.

On January, 3rd, the first Monday of the year, a recruiting officer came to my house at noon to have me sign the papers to join the Air Force. She told me a lot about what to expect during the first three weeks of basic training. Since I had left my job at the end of December, those first ten days of 1955 gave me a lot of time to relax, visit friends and family to say good-bye, and excitedly wait to start my adventure.

Several times in that first week in January, my dad and I stayed up late to watch the Late Show and the Late, Late Show movies. Dad was not someone who usually did this, so I know it was to spend as much time with me as he could before I left. During the daytime hours, I was at home with my mom and our foster children, Debbie and Eddie, putting in quality time with them also.

On one evening, my brother Freddie and I went to the movies and saw Athena and Reap the Wild Wind, a double bill. Double bills were the usual in the theaters in those years. On one of the days, I took four-year-old Debbie outside to roller skate. Another evening, I attended the Congregational Church council meeting. At the meeting, I resigned my position on the council.

Within this week off, I picked a night to go to the church chapel to meditate, pray, and write out my goals for the next year. In my diary entry, I wrote that my motto is In forgetting all troubles of my own, I must strive to strengthen the minds of my fellowmen. I was young with grandiose ideas!

On Thursday, January 6, Mom gave me a home permanent which came out great. I straightened my bedroom and got ready for a party for Laurel. I went out to get soda for the party, and when I came home my other friends, Issie and Elaine, were also there. It turned out to be a switch, a party for both Laurel and me. Mom made a spaghetti supper and lemon- filled cake for dessert. We had fun as we sat around and talked for a while wondering what the future would hold for all of us.

Friday, January 7, was the predicted due date for George and Gerry’s baby. I wrote that in my diary and write it here because it was another whole month until Kevin was finally born. That was also the day I took a picture of me to the newspaper as an announcement about me joining the Air Force.

Saturday was a work day for me. I cleaned my room, the two small living rooms, did the dishes, and ironed my clothes that would be packed for my trip.

Freddie and Tommie, his friend, took me square dancing Saturday night. The square dance was in a large hall with wooden flooring. It was crowded and lots of fun! There were many times that winter that we went to the square dance on Saturday nights, so going one last time before leaving home was touching.

Sunday morning was church, and Sunday evening I had a meeting with Reverend Stearns at the Congregational Church, which turned out to be a surprise party for me given by the Pilgrim Fellowship Youth group and other church members. We had worship. I was weepy all through the service, knowing I would miss them and being aware that my life was changing. The service was conducted by my fellow PFers.

Punch and cookies were provided, and I was presented with a gift from the church council in addition to a promised bible from the PF group. Some of my family was there. Freddie and Doc played guitars, and we had a great time singing along.

Monday was my last day home! After shopping in the morning, Mom helped me pack my clothes with little Debbie watching while I folded and put clothes in my suitcase. I spent some time putting family Christmas pictures in albums to be saved. Aunt Blanche and Cousin Mary Anne came by, said good-bye and wished me well.

I walked over to Elaine’s to say good-bye. For supper, Mom made meat loaf (my favorite dish), then I washed my hair and Mom set it for me. In those days, setting the wet hair meant turning a section around your finger, holding it next to your head, and inserting two bobby pins, one across the other. It set the hair to be wavy for the day but faded after a day or two, only to be set again. Sleeping with many bobby pins in the hair was always a challenge.

On Tuesday morning, Joey, with Mom and Debbie, drove me to New Haven to the recruiting office. I was sworn in along with others who joined and we went to the New Haven Airport where Sherry and I boarded a plane for LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The males who joined that same day were sent to Samson Air Force Base in New York State for their basic training. We were going to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, the only base for training women from across the United States.

So, as the song goes, Off we go, into the wild blue yonder.

1BoardingPlane.jpg2BoardingPlane.jpg

Ruth and Sherry board an American Airlines flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York City.

1–Wednesday, 12 January 1955

Lackland AFB, Texas

Dear Mom:

My first plane ride – on American Airlines. Sherry and I had a wonderful trip from New Haven to LaGuardia Airport. We got into New York (LaGuardia) and waited 15 minutes for a bus. We were the only ones on the bus and the ride was 35 minutes long. We arrived at Idlewild Airport and had 15 minutes to check our luggage and get on the plane.

Sherry wanted to stop in the ladies’ room (she got sick) and had to open her suitcase. We didn’t have much time so I told her I would close her suitcase for her. It was so fully packed that I had to have another woman help me hold it down to close it. Time was running out and we both got nervous. We made the plane by seconds and couldn’t sit together because all of the window seats were taken. Sherry sat opposite me so we could talk a little.

I sat with an elderly lady and as time went on we began to talk about the trip, and Texas, etc. (I don’t know how much time we have to write so I’m writing fast and not in detail.) The flight was four hours and forty-six minutes so we had a long talk. She is from Waco, Texas and was visiting her daughter in New York. She showed me the route of the plane on the map that set in the pocket in the seats. She also told me a little about Texas and plane trips and some of the nicest spots in Texas. Her husband owns two factories in Texas and a gentleman friend of theirs (he was 89) died two weeks ago and left them a ranch in McAllen, Texas.

She didn’t know if they could manage both, being that that was so far from home!! She had a beautiful cashmere suit on. We talked about everything. I told her all about Debbie and Eddie and she was very interested in psychology. She thought it was wonderful that you did the work that you do as a foster mother for the state. She was very friendly and easy to talk to. She must have been very rich and still was friendly to me. She thought that going in the service was wonderful! I fell asleep for about a half hour and when I awoke we talked again.

They announced that we would arrive in 20 minutes, so she pulled out a compact to use. When she opened it up, it had a music box that played Deep in the Heart of Texas. She let me listen to it awhile and told me that she had a big, big one at home that played seven different songs and another (smaller) that played three different songs. She was very interested in me, so I’m going to write to her. (I have her address!)

When we got off the plane in Dallas (by the way, the meal was delicious) - there was a red carpet rolled out. We stood by and waited to see who it was for. Photographers and pressmen and all were there. I was curious to see if it might have been for the lady who I sat next to. We were standing in the doorway, sort of, so when we saw that it wasn’t for her; we went on in and checked our tickets. The lady saw us and we all had to wait an hour for another plane so we sat together and talked. She told us the red carpet was for Jose Iturbi and that he rode the same plane as us (in First Class seating) and we didn’t even know.

The plane that we took from Dallas to San Antonio was full of fellows for the Air Force. When we arrived at the airport there were two other girls plus us that rode with a whole busload of fellows. It was nice because the driver was in uniform and made the fellows carry our luggage. They had to keep quiet all the way (but they talked a little). It was like riding the school bus … of course it was dark out so we didn’t get a