MF144 Women in the Military
Document Type
Oral History
Interviewer
Kim Sealy, Sarah Lawler
Interview date
11-29-2001
Interview location
Bangor, Maine
Time
00:58:42
Files
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Abstract
Colonel Frances Auclair, interviewed by Kim Sealy and Sarah Lawler, November 29, 2001. Auclair talks about running away to join the army after hearing stories about other’s experiences in it; her parents’ experiences in the Army, followed by Auclair joining the Navy; basic training followed by her first military job; being a hospital corpsman for the Navy; inequalities between gender in the 1970s; a typical day in the military as a woman; her time working in a hospital in MA; her opinion on jobs and work policies; community support for military personal; how leisure time was spent in the hospital and how it is spent now; funny memories from in the military; worst part of working for the military; relationship between men and women in the military; treatment of women in the military in the 70s compared to now; having a medical role in the military versus being in combat. Text: 38 pp. transcript. Time: 03:05:18. Photographs: p14516-p14521.
Listen:
Part 1: mfc_na3245_c2355_01
Part 2: mfc_na3245_c2356_01
Part 3: mfc_na3245_c2357_01
Part 4: mfc_na3245_c2357_02
Disciplines
Military History | Oral History | United States History | Women's History
Birth date
March 1951
Location
Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine
Nation of origin
United States
Home state/Territory
Maine
Gender
Female
Ethnicity
European-American
Occupation
Assistant Adjutant General, Maine Air National Guard
Civic groups
Bangor Area Chamber of Commerce; Rotary International; National Guard Association of the United States; National Guard Association of Maine; Unit $41, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services, National
Branch of service
Air National Guard
Service Unit
101st Air Refueling Wing, Maine Air National Guard
Date of entry
1972-1976, U.S. Navy; 1978, Maine Air National Guard
Service entry
Commissioned
Location of Service
Bangor, Maine; Augusta, Maine
Awards & Ribbons
Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters); Air Force Commendation Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters); Air Force Achievement Medal; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster); Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation; Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal; National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars); Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Service Medal; Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters); Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass); Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon; Air Force Training Ribbon (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Entry Rank
O-1 2nd Lieutenant
Highest Rank
O-7 Brigadier General
Exit Rank
O-7 Brigadier General
Names
Theresa LeBeck Auclair; Conrad Auclair
Locations
Lewiston, Maine; Alabama; Boston; Philippines; Australia; New Zealand; Bainbridge, Maryland; Orlando, Florida; Lake Michigan; Vietnam; Chelsea, Massachusetts; San Diego, California; San Francisco, California; Kosovo; Gorham, Maine; South Portland, Maine; Afghanistan; Denver, Colorado
Headings
Women in the Military; Gender Segregation; Gender Roles; PTSD
Collection name
Women in the Military
Collection number
MF144
Item number
NA3245
Recommended Citation
Auclair, Frances M., "Colonel Frances Auclair, interviewed by Kim Sealy and Sarah Lawler, Part 1" (2023). MF144 Women in the Military. 70.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mf144/70
Rights and Access Note
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Rights Statement
Comments
Update. Brigadier General Frances M. Auclair (Ret.) enlisted in the United States Navy in 1972 as a Hospital Corpsman. She joined the Maine Air National Guard as an Administrative Clerk in December 1979 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant after completing Officer Training School in 1981. General Auclair served in various operations and command positions and in 2000 was selected as the Vice Commander, 101st Air Refueling Wing. General Auclair was the first non-rated Vice Wing Commander in the Air National Guard.