Betty Thompson:
CLASS OF 1959
Yuma Union High SchoolClass of 1959
Yuma, AZ
Betty's Story
Military
I JOINED THE MILITARY IN 1975, I WAS ALMOST 35 WHEN I WENT TO BASIC TRAINING, THAT I WAS AN EXPERIENCE I WOULDN'T TRADE FOR ANY THING. I OF COURSE WAS THE OLDEST PERSON IN OUR FLIGHT, THE CLOSEST WOMAN TO MY AGE WAS 26, THE REST OF THE FLIGHT WERE GIRLS. I HAD A HARD TIME WITH THE PC (PHYSICAL CONDITIONING) BUT A YOUNG BLACK GIRL WHO WAS HAVING TROUBLE IN REMEDIAL TRAINING GOT WITH ME, I HELPED HER LEARN TO READ AND SHE HELPED ME PASS THE PC. WHAT A PAIR WE MADE. RETURNING TO OUR BASE I WAS ASSINGED TO THE CIVIL ENGINEERING SQUADRON, FIRST FEMALE TO ENTER THIS SQUADRON (NO FACILATIES FOR LADIES) A BROOM CLOSET WAS CONVERTED INTO ONE. I WORKED THERE FOR FOUR YEARS, THEN I TRANSFERED TO THE OPERATIONS SQUADRON, INTO SAFETY, FROM SAFETY I WENT TO THE OPERATIONS GROUP ...Expand for more
COMMANDERS OFFICE WHEN I STAYED FOR 17 YEARS AS A SECRETARY. I HAD FOUR COMMANDERS DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME. WHEN I WENT TO BASIC OUR UNIT HAD F101S, UPON MY RETURN WE HAD KC135 TANKERS, WHICH WE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS,THEN OUR UNIT GOT C130 AND WE BECAME A TRAINING UNIT. WE TRAINED STUDENT FROM THE 50 STATES AND ALL OVER THE WORLD. I HAD A VERY INTERESTING AND WONDERFUL CAREER. MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE SAME UNIT. HE ALSO WORKED IN OPERATIONS AS THE OPERATIONS SUPERINTENDENT, AND WAS THE COMMAND CHIEF MASTER CHIEF FOR OUR UNIT. I RETIRED IN 99 WITH 23 YEARS, AND MY HUSBAND RETIRED IN 2000 WITH 42 YEARS. WE WERE BOTH VERY PROUD TO WEAR OUR UNIFORM EVERY DAY, AND WOULD STILL BE DOING SO IF AGE HADN'T CAUGHT UP WITH US.
"GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THE WOMEN AND MEN IN THE UNIFORM"
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