ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – At Brookdale Valencia Senior Living facility in Southeast Albuquerque are some of the bravest women of their generation. “She saw the recruiting posters for the WAVES and she was very patriotic and wanted some adventure, so she signed up and went to Washington D.C.,” said Linda Blanchard.
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Her mother, Dorothy, passed away at 101-years-old in June. Dorothy was among the first women to serve in the Navy during World War II as part of the Women Accepted For Volunteer Emergency Service, or WAVES. She joined the Navy in 1943 and climbed the ranks to assist some of the military’s top officials. It’s just awesome. It’s amazing and I don’t think she fully realized how remarkable she is, but she was a great role model for me,” said Blanchard.
Raised in Mora County, Margaret Lujan Nicholson was also in WAVES for a couple of years. Alpha Woodell Benton, 89, learned about WAVES when a recruiter came to her high school in Arkansas during the Korean War. Growing up in poverty, she was enticed by the benefits the Navy offered.
“I said ‘Whelp, when I graduate from high school, I’m going to join the navy,'” she said. She served from 1954 to 1958. She said her time in the Navy gave her confidence and shaped who she is.
“It made me, me, I don’t know how to say it. It taught me a lot,” she said. The women are now sharing their stories with the community in a short documentary.
“It was a privilege,” said Benton.
The film is part of a larger project highlighting the women of Route 66 throughout history. The documentary was screened at Brookdale Valencia senior living center on Thursday. Blanchard’s mother was able to be a part of the film before passing. Through the film, the women are sharing their stories and history for generations to come.
“It was important to her…that they know part of our history and we had to fight for our freedom and democracy,” said Blanchard.
The documentary and other films highlighting the women along Route 66 also come with lesson plans to be used as educational material. The Route 66 Women project can be found at this link.
