'My mother had graduated from high school in 1940 from Burlington, Vermont. She trained to be a telephone operator and wanted to serve during WWII. She signed up and was stationed for 22 months at Treasure Island, California. She was a telephone operator and handled many overseas calls on the base. On a weekend pass, she went horseback riding with friends and met a soldier. They became inseparable and he carried her photo with him. She kept a wonderful scrapbook (that we still have, it's a treasure) of all the postcards, photos, and newspaper clippings my dad (her soldier) sent her while he served in the Aleutians and Okinawa. While in California, my parents and their friends did a lot of skiing (when they could get away) and we treasure the photos of that time and era. This photo is important to me because my mother felt the passion to do something for the war effort and, at a young age, wanted to serve her country. This decision was made all on her own. This is part of the legacy they left us and future generations to come. I am fiercely proud. Pictured: Thelma Elaine Austin. Location: Treasure Island.'
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