Unless you have walked in my shoes you would not know how life would be a complete revelation of ups and downs. The experience I had in the military I was totally unprepared for. My ambition was to fight for my country as I was always patriotic.
It was in 1943 and I was sent to Des Moines, Iowa in the freezing cold winter. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. to march through the frozen fields, that was the period of basic training. I also learned to salute all the officers.
After 6 weeks I was sent to Tucson, Arizona where the summer heat was blistering. The winds created heavy dust in the barracks and I was punished when the commanding officer came in for a white glove inspection and found dust on my windowsill!! I scrubbed the toilets for 21 days.
When I went home for a short furlough my mother suddenly died. She died because there were not enough nurses in the ward to administer oxygen which she needed.
Returning to the base, I was befriended by a Hispanic girl who had me come to her home. They tried to teach me spanish and I turned a deaf ear to that. How stupid I was. I could have earned at least $100,000 more during my lifetime with that skill. But more important, I would have been able to communicate with so many more wonderful people.
I was sent to Mitchel Field, New York, where I was assigned the position of going to high schools and colleges to recruit young men and women to join the army. The experiences in the military provide a basis of a successful future. My shoes have carried me a long way.
Mary Cohen
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