World War II Honoree

June Fremont

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Chicago, Illinois

Honored By

Friends and Family

JOINED THE MARINES IN 1943 AND WAS STATIONED AT THE U.S. MARINE CORPS HEADQUARTERS IN ARLINGTON VIRGINIA, JUST OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON D.C. SHE WORKED AT THE PENTAGON WHERE SHE HAD A NUMBER OF RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDING PROVIDING A DAILY “MUSTER ROLL” THAT IDENTIFIED THE LOCATION FOR ALL THE MARINES IN HER ASSIGNED GROUP THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. ONE OF HER MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES WAS TO ACCURATELY GATHER INFORMATION FOR MARINES WHO WERE KILLED-IN-ACTION OR MISSING-IN-ACTION AND WRITE THE LETTERS THAT WERE DELIVERED TO THEIR PARENTS. SHE ALSO WROTE PRESIDENTIAL CITATIONS THAT WERE GIVEN TO MARINE UNITS THAT DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION AGAINST AN ARMED ENEMY. IN HER FREE TIME, SHE WOULD VISIT SOLDIERS AT WALTER REED HOSPITAL, BRINGING THEM FRESH FRUIT FROM HER BARRACKS AND WRITING LETTERS FOR THOSE WHO NEEDED HELP. IN 1945, SHE VOLUNTEERED TO BE PART OF THE FIRST COMPANY OF MARINE CORP WOMEN TO BE DETACHED TO THE OVERSEAS BASE AT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII. THIS FIRST GROUP OF WOMEN WAS SENT TO PEARL HARBOR TO TAKE OVER NON-COMBAT RELATED JOBS FROM PRIVATES WHO WERE RETURNING FROM THE PACIFIC THEATER SO THAT THESE PRIVATES COULD GO HOME. HER RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDED “ISLAND HOPPING” TO DELIVER SECURE MESSAGES THROUGHOUT HAWAII, RUNNING THE IBM DATA PROCESSING MACHINES, AND PROVIDING MOTOR TRANSPORT (DRIVING COMMANDING OFFICERS AROUND THE BASE IN JEEPS).