Grandma was a member of the WAVES. The WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services) was a WWII-era division of the US Navy that consisted entirely of women. Grandma was just a girl of 17 or so when she joined. She once told me the story of how the boy she was dating had enlisted when the war started, and was killed in battle. When she found out he had died, she decided to join up to take his place.
When Grandma was in service she was stationed in Miami, which is where, I imagine, the above photo was taken. The fellow in the short-shorts is NOT my Grandfather, but he sure is cute, and Grandma looks like she is having a great time. I love her swimsuit and can clearly see where I get my hips from.
So, where was Granddaddy? Well, he was stationed at Pearl Harbor before she met him. He was there when Pearl Harbor was bombed, but emerged unscathed. He would later be stationed in Miami, where fate intervened and he met Grandma.
Here's Granddaddy with his shipmates (He's the good-looking chap in the middle)
And you know what happened after they met? They married in Miami, moved to South Carolina and had three kids. This is one of my favorite pictures, with my mom when she was little, and my uncle.
XOXO,
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