"Many girls had and kept a sense of humor. All was not fun, however, and heartache was not relegated to men only. There were 'Dear Jane' as well as 'Dear John' letters." Interview, 8:01

Marie Brand Voltzke

Marie Brand Voltzke in full dress uniform Washington D.C. in September 1945 War: World War II, 1939-1946 Branch: WAVES (Navy Women's Reserve) Unit: US Naval Communication Intelligence Service Location: Naval Training Station, Stillwater, Oklahoma; RS NYD and US Naval Base, Washington, DC Place of Birth: Wolf Summit, WV

Many young women emigrate from small towns to work in the Nation's Capital, but Marie Brand's story has the extra dimension of being set in wartime. From Hepzibah, West Virginia, Marie journeyed to Washington in 1943 after she enlisted in the WAVES. Her new home was the Naval Communications Annex, where she and 4,000 other women worked in three shifts round the clock. There was time off to explore the big city, and Marie took it all in - the monuments, museums, restaurants, and concerts.