In 1955, a couple years after her high school graduation, Bev signed up for the Marine Corps. For a girl who had never left NY State or been on a train, the trip by herself to Paris Island for training was quite an adventure. In those years the only jobs open to women were administrative and secretarial, so that is what Bev did. She hoped things would change so she could train to become a drill instructor and stay in the service long term.  She enjoyed traveling to other bases with ball teams and getting to know women from all over the country. Unfortunately, after she was in the service for about a year and half there was a purge of members suspected of being gay. She received a general discharge “under honorable conditions,” which ended her military career. 
     After living in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 10 years, she moved back to NY and worked for the phone company for a total of 38 years. These days, at 86, she enjoys watching TV, going for car rides, lazy days at our camp near Old Forge watching the boats on the lake and keeping an eye out for wildlife.  She likes spending time with her 3 cats that she loves more than almost anything.      Unfortunately, her moderate dementia has erased all of her memories of her time in the Marines, but lucky for me she told me many stories of the good times she had when she was there.

-- Gretchen Barfoot