First Local Girl To Wear WAVES Colors

CLICK HERE to see original photo

Vivian M. Lund, R/M 2/C, was at the home of her mother, Mrs. Hannah Lund, last week on a six day leave after graduating from her indoctrination course at the U.S. Naval Training Station for the Womens Reserve at Iowa State [Teacher's] College at Cedar Falls, Iowa. She was the first Minneotan to enlist the WAVES.

Seaman Lund enlisted in the navy at San Francisco, California, on October 5, 1942.

After her visit at home she went on to Minneapolis to spend a day with her sister, Ella, and friends. From there she went on to Arlington, Virginia, to report to the Naval Radio Station there, where she will become a Radio Operator and be prepared to relieve a service man in the navy so that he may go to one of the fighting fronts.

Since she left Minneota after graduating with the class of 1940, she has been in San Francisco, graduating from Munsons School for private secretaries, then employed as a draftsman for the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, and at the same time attending night classes in Radio Communications to prepare herself for the service.

When the United States entered the war, she became a voluntary member of the A.W.V.S. (American Womens Voluntary Services) selling war bonds and stamps.

By the time she had completed her course in Radio Communications, the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) had been organized and she enlisted, which is for the duration and six months after.

She is very happy in her new career, and was glad to hear that a few of her old acquaintances from Minneota had enlisted in the WAACs, an auxiliary of the army. She hopes that more of her old friends become members of the armed forces.

She admitted it was quite a change for a young girl to give up her position, friends, and civilian clothes for the duration, but she likes navy life very much and wouldn't trade her new life for the old — and as for the uniform, she feels it quite an honor for the United States navy to accept the young women, put them into uniform and give them the important positions that the boys have held on shore duty.

[See original article]
Thanks to Cherri Schmigg, Office Manager, Minneota Mascot, for finding the article and sending the images March 26, 2018.