ecovlke's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Female World War I Veteran's Passing Female World War I Veteran's Passing (AP) Charlotte Winters, the last known surviving female World War I veteran who meet face-to-face with the secretery of the Navy to fight for women in the military, died Tuesday March 27, 2007 in Boonsboro. Md. She was 109. Her death leaves just five known surviving American World War I veterans. In 1916, Winters met with Secretery of the Navy Josephus Daniels to persude him to allow women in the service, said Kelly Auber, who grew up on South Mountain, Md, where Winters and her husband, John Winters, settled. When the Navy opened support roles to women, Winters and her sister, Sophie, joined immediately in 1917, Auber said. By December 1918, the Navy said, more than 11,000 women had enlisted and were serving in support postions. Winters served as a secretery and retired in 1953 with the rank of yeoman in the Naval Reserve. 9:56 a.m. - 2007-03-31 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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