World War II Honoree

Wanda Joy Whiteley Hayes

Hometown

Catoosa, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

MOVED TO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA IN JANUARY, 1944, TO BE NEAR HER SISTER WHO WAS SERVING IN THE U.S. NAVY AS A MEMBER OF THE WOMEN ACCEPTED FOR VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE (WAVES), THE WOMEN’S RESERVE OF THE U.S. NAVY. WHILE IN SAN FRANCISCO, SHE WORKED FOR THE WAR DEPARTMENT ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE INVENTORYING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS. IN AUGUST, 1944, SHE TRANSFERRED TO GROTON, CONNECTICUT AND WORKED THERE AS A TELETYPE OPERATOR AT THE NAVY SUBMARINE BASE. SHE WAS AWARDED A SPECIAL CITATION BY PRESIDENT TRUMAN AFTER THE WAR FOR HER DEDICATED AND LOYAL SERVICE TO THE NATION WHILE AT WAR.