LIVERMORE – When Myrtle Gordon entered the U.S. Women’s Army Corps at 28 in 1943, she claims she was shy and bashful. But the 89-year-old woman said Monday the Army cured her; she has self-confidence now.

At the end of the month, Gordon will make a trek by bus to Washington with a group of veterans to the May 29 dedication of the new National World War II Monument.

“It can’t help to stir some memories,” Gordon said.

Good memories for her, she said.

“I had a good time in the service,” she said. “No trials or hardships.”

When her first husband was drafted to serve during World War II, she took over his mail route, but she didn’t like it and enlisted in the service.

Since several family members were overseas, she opted to stay in the United States during the war.

After basic training, she went to Fort Devens in Ayer, Mass. She worked in different wards at a hospital until she settled into working in medical supply.

Upon entering the service she had taken several tests, she said, and she did well on mechanical tests.

Seeking a niche

The military tried to put her in the motor pool, but she didn’t want any part in it.

The woman, who graduated from high school at 16, went to Farmington Normal School for two years and then taught school, says she did well on the test because she had to pass her husband the tools when he was working on their Model A Ford.

The service then had her take a typewriter repair course.

That wasn’t for her either.

But she did enjoy working in medical supply.

A lot of the prisoners of war from Germany worked in medical supply while she was there.

Gordon never saw combat firsthand but said she was required to view war pictures each week.

“I still don’t go to war movies,” she said.

She doesn’t watch the news much either, she said.

Her tour was up in 1946, she divorced her husband a couple years later and remarried in 1950.

Sponsors pitch in

Her second husband was called to serve in the Korean War. Gordon was called back into serve as an Army reservist and was stationed again in medical supply at Fort Devens.

Her husband had a heart condition and was released from the service; she stayed on to complete her year.

“I got experience with other people,” Gordon said, of her military service. “I made a lot of women friends.”

When she went over to a Veteran’s Administration clinic in Rumford recently, a nurse asked her if she was going to the memorial’s dedication.

“I said I was too lame,” she said. “I decided I was too old to travel a while ago.”

But the nurse called up later and told her the doctors wanted to sponsor her.

She called up a few friends from Buckfield and Turner, and they’re going on the bus trek with her along with the nurse.

“I don’t know if I’ll see anyone I know,” she said. “But I’m looking forward to going.”

dperry@sunjournal.com

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