The Peru Gazette

These women are your neighbors. Their biographies will surprise you. (Please Share) 

Plattsburgh – June 17, 2023 – North Country Honor Flights 46 and 47 took to the skies on Saturday, June 17. Flight 46 was the first-of-its-kind all-female Honor Flight. Fifteen deserving female Veterans made a special stop at the Women’s Military Memorial at Arlington Cemetery, amongst the other memorials.  At Saturday’s Send-Off Ceremony, Honor Flight Executive Director Barrie Finnegan said,  “Some people thought the Honor Flights are just for men. That’s not true. We’re so happy these women are participating today. We’re confident many more women will participate in future North Country Honor Flights.” 

Here are the biographies compiled and read by Janet Duprey at the Send-Off Ceremony. 

Mary Barber

U.S. Army     1974-1977           Vietnam  

Mary’s basic training was with the Women’s Army Corps, Fort Jackson.  Starting at 6 a.m. in freezing cold, 15-minute breakfast; drill training in afternoon heat.  Mary can break down and reassemble an M16 in 8 seconds and drive a deuce and a half.  

At Fort Sam Houston, Mary became a field medic; did surgical setups; identifying 100 surgical instruments; Mary was an operating room specialist.  

Mary finished at Fort Devens, 46^th Combat Support Hospital, a descendant of the original MASH Unit.

I am pleased to recognize Mary Barber, a behind-the-scenes volunteer since 2013, a multi-flight leader; she steps up whenever needed.  Let’s show appreciation for an extraordinary volunteer and veteran.

 

Margaret “Peggy” Boggs

U.S. Air Force 1981-1985   Cold War

Margaret joined the Air Force and met her husband, who was serving. After training at Lackland, Peggy was stationed in Plattsburgh for four years, working at the Base hospital as a Medical Administrative Specialist.

Peggy worked in the orderly room and was part of the Decontamination team preparing for war.  At 2:00 a.m., they would be called for a lockdown at the hospital.  In War Games, they would stay in tents and be called “Yellow Bananas,” referring to their bright yellow suits. 

A modest person, Peggy was surprised to be voted by her squad as “hospital sweetheart.”                 

Deborah Briggs

U.S. Air Force                  1972-1995                    Cold War 

Deborah, afraid of water, asked a Navy Recruiter if she had to swim.  He said they’d teach her; she joined the Air Force.  

Deb supported weapons system changes as an Inventory Management Specialist, including transitioning from B-52 to B-1B at Grand Forks, North Dakota.  Deb served the 48^th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England.  Deb’s best assignment was an isolated tour in Iceland as Director of Logistics, the last of the manual radar sites in the Air Force.  

Deb retired with the closure of Plattsburgh Air Force Base after 23 years in service to our Country.         

Joyce Trudeau-Connors

U.S. Army                         1975-1996                Desert Storm 

At age 34, Joyce, a Registered Nurse, enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps.  Joyce had basic training at Fort Sam Houston, basic officers and advanced officers school in San Antonio.

The most interesting course was nuclear warfare and Joyce is glad she never had to use that training. Orders for active duty in Italy were canceled due to Desert Storm, as Joyce was on call and at the ready.

A portable TV during the World Series assured Joyce was the most popular person on base.

Thomas Connors, Veteran Guardian for his wife 

U.S. Navy         1967-1969             Vietnam

Tom enlisted in the Navy, basic training in Gulfport, Mississippi. A Seabee, Tom was stationed in Rhode Island.  

Tom was ordered to Vietnam and spent nine months on the coast near the DMZ. Tom’s Battalion supported the Marines in building bunkers and concrete pads.

During an artillery strike, Tom dove into a bunker hooking his side on a metal post; thankfully, Tom’s only serious injury.  

In Rhode Island, signs read, “Dogs and sailors stay off the lawn.”                 

 

Jennifer Curry

U.S. Navy               1973-1976             Vietnam

Naval Reserve                         1976-1982

At basic training in Orlando, Jennifer joined hundreds of women ln various companies marching with a sense of pride in our Country.  Jenn went to Navy Air Station, Moffett Field, California, as an Airman in a deployment squadron working in Supply and Screening aircraft parts.  

Jenn was accepted at the Naval School of Health Science in San Diego.  After training, Jen finished her tour at Oakland Naval Medical Center.  Jennifer served six years in the Naval Reserve.

Lois Duford

US Air Force             1965-1966                  Vietnam 

Lois joined the Air Force with dreams of seeing the world. After boot camp in San Antonio, Texas, Lois was stationed at Stewart Air Force Base near West Point.

Lois was an administrative assistant at her first duty station when she met the man she would be married to for 56 https://www.perugazette.com/?p=78941&preview=trueyears.  Lois left the Air Force and became a military wife. 

While Lois’s dream of seeing the world changed, Lois, Carl and their children were stationed in Guam, Turkey, and several states.  

Vietnam Veteran Carl flew on Honor Flight 32 and Lois will carry him in her heart on today’s flight.  

Diane Kinne 

U.S. Air Force                 1974-1987                     Cold War

Air National Guard      1989-2008

When Diane signed up, the recruiter asked if she wanted to do paperwork. She said, “No.” Asked if she wanted aircraft maintenance, Diane said, “Sure,” making her one of the first females in the Aircraft Maintenance Career Field.  

Stationed in California, Germany, Idaho, and finally at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, Diane knew the Adirondacks was where she wanted to be. 

Retiring from the Air National Guard, Diane received the Volunteer of the Year Award for 32 years serving as an Honor Guard, her best duty ever.              

Donna Komornicki           

 U.S. Air Force                           1969-1989                        Vietnam 

 Donna served 20 years as a Visual Information Media Technician. 

 Carswell, Texas Donna was a projectionist for B-52 and FB-111 aircrews.

At Plattsburgh, Donna was assigned to the Audiovisual Library and Photo Lab. Thinking Texas to New York was a bad climate change, Donna arrived at Minot, North Dakota, quickly moving off base to get snow days off!   

Ramstein, Germany, Donna scheduled seminars and conferences; traveled across Europe.

After Donna’s final three years at Plattsburgh, she volunteered to help archive the base history.   

Mary Labarge

U.S. Marine Corp                       1964-1965                    Vietnam            

Mary enlisted in the 4-A Woman Recruit Battalion at Parris Island.  

At boot camp, there were no weapons or defense training.  The Battalion required gas attack training and Mary hated it!  The worst part was underwater drills, as Mary had to swim in a pool and come up for air under a blanket of gas. 

A Clerk Typist at Cherry Point, Mary was near her Marine brother Vern at Camp Lejeune, spending weekends together when they could.  

Vern was scheduled for today’s flight when he passed away on June 3^rd.  Vern will travel in Mary’s heart today.

Donna Laperle

 U.S. Air Force                         1980-1984                     Iraqi Freedom

Army National Guard     1977-1979; 1985-2008

In boot camp at an M-16 briefing, Donna, exhausted from daily 4:00 a.m. 2-mile runs, fell asleep, standing up, and didn’t hear the sergeant holler at her.   

As a Pneudraulic Repairman in Okinawa, Donna worked on AWACS Planes, checking wing-flap shocks for leaks. 

At Travis Air Force Base, Donna maintained KC-10 flying boom air-fueling planes.  

Army National Guard, 2004, Donna was in Kuwait during Iraqi Freedom.  Donna served 32 years for our Country.

Vicky Mangieri

U.S. Air Force                  1983-1992                 Desert Storm                   

Vicky was assigned to administration as a Personnel Specialist stationed at bases Keesler, Tinker, and in Belgium.   Vicky’s favorite part was traveling to Paris, Amsterdam, and Holland on weekends.  

Stationed in Plattsburgh, Vicky was named Strategic Air Command Base Level Personnel Specialist of the Year.  A year later, Vicky was selected as Base Level Technician.   

Vicky was responsible for processing passports to immunizations for all deployed to Desert Shield/Desert Storm.  

Veronica Morrow                        

U.S.  Army                                  1969-1972                                 Vietnam 

Veronica joined the largest group of women recruits to enter military service in the Plattsburgh area.  After basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, Veronica was afraid to sit on a bed for years.  

Veronica could rattle off her serial number during the gas training drills despite fatigue and heat.

In the Women’s Army Corps, Veronica was a Medical Records Specialist in the Women’s Clinic.  No matter how tired Veronica was at the end of the week, she was ready to march on weekends for graduations and other ceremonies. Veronica’s favorite part was the all-women’s marching band.    

Hadee Reynolds  

U.S. Navy               2000-2002                   Iraqi Freedom

Hadee was standing watch in Norfolk, Virginia, when orders came to close the gate; do not let anyone in.  Without a radio, Hadee did not know the cause; she soon learned the Twin Towers had fallen.  It was intense as orders were issued to get all ships out of Port.

As a gunner mate on the USS Arctic, Hadee said they had a 6-month cruise through the Persian Gulf as the ship was scheduled to be decommissioned.

On its last voyage, they stopped at many ports.  Hadee said the most interesting experience was standing watch as the USS Arctic traversed the Suez Canal.

Harold Reynolds

U.S. Air Force                               1973-1974                               Vietnam        

Harold enlisted and attended Boot Camp in San Antonio. Harold trained at Lackland, joining the Air Force Law Enforcement Division.

Harold’s first assignment was walking the flightline perimeter 12-hour shifts for six straight months.  Harold was injured while on duty. After his recovery, he remained in the Law Enforcement Division and learned he would no longer be able to carry a gun.   Harold accepted the option to separate from the Air Force. 

 

Joanne Reynolds

U.S. Army       1968-1970                     Vietnam

Joanne joined the Army Nurse Corps to finish her nursing education. Joanne was ordered to Vietnam and stationed with the 93rd Evacuation Hospital near Saigon and received soldiers from everywhere.  They always asked first about their brothers. Joanne worked 10–12-hour night shifts in a burn hospital.  On Christmas, Bob Hope visited the hospital. Joanne noticed he was standing under the mistletoe, and he invited her over for a kiss.  

Sent to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Joann completed her tour of duty in labor and delivery, a nice change.

 

Jane Richards

U.S. Navy 1968-1988 Vietnam

Jane enlisted and went to a female boot camp in Maryland.  Shy and quiet, Jane found the camp challenging.  

Picking the top 1% of females, Jane was the first female to open a Navy Female Brig. Jane didn’t like the stressful, nasty job and was glad the Brig closed.  Jane spent 21 months on Midway Island.  She was sent to Italy and looked forward to a German Octoberfest but was ordered to Fort McClelland, Alabama, for four years.  Jane retired in Hawaii, finishing her career in Communications.  Jane spent 20 years of service to our country.