World War II Honoree

Ruth Victoria Cornett Fierros

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Douglas M. Alford, USN

SHE GRADUATED FROM BEREA COLLEGE IN KENTUCKY IN 1943, WITH A DEGREE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION. DUE TO HER STRONG DESIRE TO HELP IN THE WAR EFFORT SHE JOINED THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE ON JULY 16, 1943 AS A SEAMAN RECRUIT. SHE RECEIVED TRAINING IN NEW YORK CITY AND CEDAR FALLS, IOWA. HER TRAINING WAS IN PUBLIC HOTELS AND NOT ON MILITARY BASES DUE TO HER GENDER. DUE TO HER EDUCATION AND TRAINING SHE WAS PROMOTED TO PETTY OFFICER FIRST CLASS WITH YEOMAN RATING. SHE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE 8TH NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION AT THE NAVAL AIR STATION, NEW ORLEANS. HER DUTY WAS TO REVIEW ALL COMMUNICATIONS COMING INTO THE STATION, CODE THEM AND FORWARD THEM TO THE PROPER DESTINATION. THIS WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE OPERATION OF THE STATION. SHE WAS STATIONED THERE UNTIL HER RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY ON JUNE 7, 1946. SHE WAS VERY PROUD OF HER TIME IN THE NAVAL SERVICE AND HER SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY.