Nancy Nance Military Service

Women serving in the military service is nothing new,  but  for Nancy Nance , then of Pennsylvania , now of Manteo,  N.C., it was special.

As a young woman just out of  high school,  she was excited. Why did she enlist?  “I wanted  a  career. I didn’t want to just stay home.“Leaving the Liberty Belle flight out of Harrisburg Pa. in the summer of 1957 for basic Air Force training, she was ready for that career.  Basic was in San Antonio, Texas that hot  July and August.  “We marched everywhere we went.  We had to clean our rooms and bathrooms, and there were certain ways we had to fold  our clothes.“ When basic was over, “I didn’t go home on leave,“ she said.

Too young to go overseas, she was transferred to California where she was officially listed as a clerk/typist, but on the side, when there was an investigation involving a woman, she would be called on to accompany the military police. “Sometimes they would let me fleece them (the women),“ she said. “It was exciting. I loved it.“ She also did background investigations, did fingerprinting  and, as a telephone switchboard operator, occasionally listened in on the suspects` phone calls .  She met her husband at Travis Air Force Base but after they were married , he was a bit jealous because she was with other men so much. She stayed in the Air Force for a while, but soon she found her marriage was suffering, so   she was allowed to leave the service in 1959 .

Since her husband was from North Carolina, they eventually moved there.  Marriage  bought here more than a new state and a husband. The couple eventually had three children.   Military service for  women has changed, and young mothers sometimes find themselves going overseas, leaving children behind with husbands, parent or other family members. “I don’t know how women leave their children behind,“ she said.  I could never have left my child like that.“I  Idon’t think muchof that.“

She would welcome hearing from any of the women she served with. er supervising officer was Nancy Hollingsworth. reach her by email at lpouterbanksseniors.com