Document Type

Oral History

Erma Frances Fletcher, interviewed by Amy L. Stevens

Interviewee name

Erma Frances Dancer Fletcher

Interviewer

Amy L. Stevens

Interview date

4-24-2003

Interview location

Dexter, Maine

Files

Abstract

Erma Frances Fletcher, interviewed by Amy L. Stevens, April 24, 2003, in Dexter, Maine. Fletcher, age 79, talks about her family history; her early life; working in a factory after high school; the stigma against female military service; enlisting in the Navy in World War II; her basic training experiences; marching for President Roosevelt; surviving on a small stipend; missing out on serving in Manila; her transcription work; how she spent her leisure time; meeting her husband during the war; regretting not staying in the service after 1946; moving to Washington, D.C. after her service; her sense of patriotism during the war; whether she would recommend enlisting in that time period; working under female superior officers in training and male afterwards; doing kitchen police (KP) duty; losing weight in basic training; women dropping out during basic training; her reception upon returning as a veteran; and whether her military experience changed her. Also included: print of photo. Text: 14 pp. transcript. Recording: No recording. Photograph: p14498, detail p14499.

Disciplines

Military History | Oral History | United States History | Women's History

Birth date

January 13, 1924

Location

Garland, Penobscot County, Maine

Death date

June 13, 2017

Location

Dexter, Penobscot County, Maine

Nation of origin

United States

Home state/Territory

Maine

Gender

Female

Ethnicity

European-American

Occupation

Bookkeeper

Branch of service

U.S. Navy

Service Unit

Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES)

Dates of service

1944-1946

Date of entry

1944

Service entry

Enlisted

Wars & Conflicts

World War II

Entry Rank

E-1 Seaman Recruit

Highest Rank

E-3 Seaman

Exit Rank

E-3 Seaman

Names

Erma Dancer; Dick Dancer; President Roosevelt; Eisenhower; James Fletcher; Dickey Fletcher

Locations

Garland, Maine; Dexter, Maine; New Jersey; Bangor, Maine; Hunter College, New York; Washington, D.C.; Japan; Manila, Philippines; Iraq; Iran; Washington, D.C.; Long Island; Connecticut; Yugoslavia

Headings

Women in the Military; Self-esteem; Homesickness

Collection name

Women in the Millitary

Collection number

MF144

Item number

NA4195

Recommended Citation

Dancer Fletcher, Erma Frances, "Erma Frances Fletcher, interviewed by Amy L. Stevens" (2023). MF144 Women in the Military. 85.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mf144/85

Rights and Access Note

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