VFW honors Women’s Army Corps veteran
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RONAN — For Helen Smith, waiting to join the Women’s Army Corps at age 21 seemed like a lifetime of anticipation.
But after signing up and basic training on Daytona Beach, the native of St. Ignatius found herself an ocean away on the shores of Wales in the United Kingdom.
“I wanted to see a lot and I wanted someone to take care of me,” said the veteran of her decision to join the 150,000 women working alongside the military invasion.
After her arrival in Wales, she and other WAC members were transported by truck to official offices in London.
She was put to work reproducing and sending out classified information from the combat fields to waiting officials in Washington D.C.
When the Allies made headway further east, she was transferred to Paris, France. Smith and other ladies in uniform occupied former Nazi offices and continued assisting in the war endeavor, sending vital information on to Washington D.C.
The information that she and her compatriots handled was top secret intelligence, and the tight-lipped crew were warned not to discuss the valuable information.
“You might have seen something you saw (before) in the newspapers, but you didn’t talk about it,” Smith said.
When the war was over, Smith had an option of staying on with the Women’s Army Corps, but missed her home. She opted to come home and settle in Montana.
On Wednesday, the veteran was honored in the St. Luke Extended Care Home by representatives of the Ronan V.F.W. She previously resided in Missoula and has only been a resident of the home for a few weeks. She was presented with a beaded poppy flower and officially thanked for the years she spent serving her country.
“I’m proud of my service time,” she said, beaming.
