Jarod's grandma Estelle had a story written about her today in the Omaha paper with a picture of her then and now. Unfortunately, I can't get the picture on my blog but at least I can put the article on here. Both of Jarod's grandfather's and Estelle were in World War II and I am always fascinated hearing the stories so I thought I would share.
Estelle Leinen
Age: 86
Town: Dow City, Iowa; grew up in Chicago.
Service: U.S. Navy W.A.V.E.S. from 1942 to 1945, reaching the rank of storekeeper first class.
In the war: After 11 weeks of boot camp in the Bronx, New York, Leinen worked in storekeeping at Great Lakes Naval Station near Waukegan, Ill., for the duration of the war. She maintained supplies for the cooks and bakers in the station's 11 galleys. There she met a sailor from Iowa, Lavern Leinen, who was a cook on an aircraft carrier. They married after the war and he took her back to Dow City, where they raised six children.
In her words: "My job as a storekeeper wasn't a very strategic one, but I thought that I would try to do my part. Some of the guys didn't appreciate us women coming in, however, because then they got put on ships and sent off to war."
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