Betty Jane Beck
Bio
Betty Jane Beck was born in 1928 in Mason City, Iowa. While attending college classes, she decided to join the WAVES in the Navy shortly after World War II. She had a great interest in aviation and felt she could receive better training in the military. She discusses some of the restrictions for women who served in the Navy at that time. She ultimately served for five years and worked as an aviation electronics technician, serving in several different stateside locations.
Video Clips
Joining the Navy
Betty Beck explains she wanted a career related to aviation and saw the U.S. Navy’s Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or WAVES, as an opportunity to live her dream. She recalls everything happening quickly as she joined the Navy on a Wednesday and was shipped out by that Friday. She speaks about the entrance requirements for women for the WAVES, all of which she found easy. She recalls how the entire process only took a couple of days and how she was assigned to aviation. She remembers how, at that time, women were very limited in the jobs they could do, but the limitations eventually changed.
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Aviation Electronics Training
Betty Beck explains how even though she qualified for aviation, her options were limited since she was not allowed to fly. She describes learning basic electronics and how to repair the different types of electronics used in the U.S. Navy. She recalls that during her time, women could still serve in the U.S. Navy if they were married but not after they were pregnant or had children. She remembers all women in aviation were to be sent to Pensacola, Florida, to be evaluated on their abilities related to the jobs currently open to them. She shares did not want to go, and she expands on how lucky she was in being sent to San Diego, California, instead.
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Women in the Service
Betty Beck reflects on women in the service and remembers civilians did not understand the role women played. She explains that her family was supportive of her service, including a brother-in-law in the U.S. Navy and another in the Maritime service. She shares her father had to sign for her to join the U.S. Navy as she was not yet twenty years old. She admits that her brother-in-laws talked him into signing the form. She explains how he father wanted her to remain in the military when she decided to leave because he felt she was living a good life.
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