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UNDER THE C OL ORS

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Jovita Bronx, New York. Tellez and
Enriquez Tellez, a U.S. Navy her fellow W.A.V.E.S. were
Women Accepted for Vol- given a Memorable Day
unteer Emergency Service leave, going into New York
(W.A.V.E.S.) veteran, cele- City to join the masses filling
brated a once-in-a-lifetime the streets. Tellez remembers
milestone on Feb. 15: her being part of crowds form-
100th birthday. ing large circles made up of
Tellez, a native of Luling, military of all branches and
Texas, served in the U.S. Navy civilians.
as a W.A.V.E. during WWII "We cried, laughed,
from 1945 to 1946. Tellez also and sang," said Tellez. "I was
has family ties to Seguin, Tex- kissed by so many sailors, I
as, where many nieces and don't know how many."
nephews, Pete Mendez and W.A.V.E.S., the women's
Sylvia McPhail, reside. branch of the U.S. Naval
She is one of the last re- Reserve during WWII, was
maining U.S. Navy W.A.V.E.S. U.S. Navy established by the U.S. Con-
veterans. Tellez, also known gress on July 21, 1942, and
as Jo, is a first-generation signed into law by President
American whose parents Franklin D. Roosevelt on July
migrated from Mexico in the W.A.V.E.S. 30. This authorized the U.S.
late 1800s and early 1900s. Navy to accept women into
Veteran missioned officers and at the
the Naval Reserve as com-

enlisted level, effective for
the duration of the war plus
Celebrating six months.
Although W.A.V.E.S. was
relatively small in the num-
100 birthday ber of women who served
th
and short in its span of
existence (July 1942 to Sep-
tember 1946), an estimated
87,000 W.A.V.E.S. served in
the U.S. Armed Forces in
By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach their time of existence. These
women greatly impacted
the positive outcome of the
Tellez graduated from Tellez's decision to join "When I told my father I war and were, directly and
Luling High School in 1944 the military was born out of was going to join the Navy, indirectly, monumental in
and tried to enlist as a a desire to serve her country. he supported my decision affecting the permanent ex-
W.A.V.E. that same year, but "I joined the Navy be- and responded in Spanish, istence of women in all U.S.
the quota had already been cause it was wartime," said 'It is a job worth doing,'" said military branches.
met. Moving to San Antonio, Tellez. "It was WWII, so I felt I Tellez. After her training, Tellez
Texas, the following year, had to do something." VJ Day was announced was assigned to Washington,
Tellez was able to finally Tellez's father was very shortly after Tellez complet- D.C. Navy Yard, serving as a
enlist in June 1945 at the age supportive of her decision to ed her training at USS Hunter Ship Serviceman (L) 3rd Class
of 21. join the Navy. Naval Training Center in the responsible for warehous-

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