Interview with Velma Irene Richardson, Navy veteran, Part 1 of 4

Velma Irene Richardson enlisted in the Navy at 20 years old. She expressed her interest in nursing so joined the Hospital Corps division and worked in various naval hospitals in Rhode Island, New York, Chicago, the Great Lake and NC. Velma was in the Navy for 2 years 10 months until she married in 1951. Her husband was a Marine and had just returned from the Battle of the Chosin Few in Korea when they met. While her husband went overseas to Okinawa, she worked in St. Anthony’s civilian hospital in Texas. She then went to 29 Palms Marine Base where her husband was stationed and retired after 20 years. Velma has 4 children and her oldest son enlisted in the Navy and, like her, he joined the Hospital Corps division but took care of Marines on a naval ship during the Vietnam War and served for 4 years. Velma feels that military oriented citizens think differently than civilians about the U.S. and during the interview, she proudly wore a ribbon and jacket from Band of Brothers, a veteran’s group that she has been a member of for 5 years.