Join us on Operation Insight as we host Corporal Rusty Marlen, veteran of the Women's Army Corps!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and family togetherness, we introduce you to Dorothy Mae "Rusty" Marlen, Ethan's great aunt. For as long as Ethan can remember, Rusty has been the life of the party and one of his absolute favorite relatives. To think that if it wasn't for a box of donuts in a bar, Rusty would have never met Eddie Grover Marlen, and eventually joined the family. Whereas Eddie was a single dad of two boys hailing from the sleepy railroad town of Dupo, IL, Rusty was the second-born daughter of a Scottish immigrant who settled in the Rocky Mountain State and maybe not so secretly had hoped for a son. In her characteristically effervescant style, Rusty shares her story of joining the Women's Army Corps and becoming a WAC!

By the time Rusty saw recruiting posters with phrases such as "Are you a girl with a Star-spangled heart," "This is my war too," and "Speed them back, join the WAC," the Women's Army Corps (previously known as the Women's Auxiliary Corps) hadn't even reached its tenth anniversary. Established in 1942, its formation marked the first large-scale, formally structured mobilization of women into the U.S. Army. Women had served their country long before that, but in unofficial and specialized roles, such as civilian nurses, laundresses, and cooks in the Revolutionary War. During World War I, the Army Signal Corps enlisted hundreds of bilingual American women, nicknamed the "Hello Girls," to operate switchboards near the front lines in France, and the Navy enlisted over 11,000 women as "Yeomanettes" to fill important clerical and support positions. Although largely uncredited, these foundational efforts demonstrated the immense value of female personnel in the armed forces. Then, with the onset of World War II, American lawmakers recognized the need to free up male soldiers for combat roles. While limited to non-combat support roles, the work and service of those within the WAC's ranks were essential to the war effort and victory. Beyond the war, patriotic American women like CPL Marlen helped to pave the way for future female servicemembers. Please enjoy this family reunion of sorts and all the fun that accompanies a conversation with the one and only Rusty Marlen!

https://www.awfdn.org/

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/womens-army-corps-wac-world-war-ii

(00:00) Disclaimer

(01:22) Introduction

(37:40) Barry Manilow

(40:00) Closing