Mom—daughter of Mexican immigrants. Her father was one of 1200 Bisbee miners who was deported
to New Mexico in 1917. He later died in a mining accident in 1928. Her widowed mother raised five
children on her own and became an American citizen in the early 1950s . What does a young woman
from Bisbee do to achieve her goal of going to college and becoming a teacher? She joins the Army
during WWII in order to see the world and use the GI Bill to eventually earn two master’s degrees from
the University of Arizona. Pop—son of two WWI Veterans grew up the Heartland, Muncie, Indiana. Yes
my maternal grandmother also served in the Army as nurse. Unfortunately, she contracted tuberculosis
and lost her life leaving her husband with five young sons. It was the depression, and my grandfather
chose to send his sons to live in an American Legion orphanage. Going forward to WWII, all five boys
and their dad all served in the military at the same time. Mom and Pop were both stationed in Cairo,
Egypt they fell in love, married, and settled in Tucson and the rest is history. Fast forward some 20+
years when their daughter (ME) decided to join the military. I served as a Soldier for 25 years and
continued in government service for 15 more years.
As a child I remember playing with those little green soldier figures...never thought I could be one
someday but I am so proud to bring my family military tradition to the Army Man Project.
