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A WAVE from Cottonwood – D

We’ve been learning about Tyler’s Ardith (Aamodt) Sween and her early years in Cottonwood; her work there during the Depression era and early years of WWII; and her decision to volunteer for the U.S. Navy WAVES. She traveled to New York in March 1943 for initial training at Hunter College. The Navy then sent her to Boston for additional training as a Storekeeper, meaning she would serve as a Supply Specialist.

The Navy assigned her to Naval Air Station (NAS) Clinton in Oklahoma, a base that opened the month before Ardith arrived with the first group of WAVES. She recalled arriving there by train.

“The base at Clinton had just been commissioned on June 1, 1943. We arrived there in July. We came to the station at night, so we didn’t see what it was like.”

When they had the chance to discover their new home the next day, Ardith began to understand its location would be one of the most challenging parts of her assignment. The west Oklahoma prairie was flat and both warmer and drier than her Southwest Minnesota prairie home. She added, “Naval Air Station Clinton was away from everything.”

Although named NAS Clinton, the new base was actually 15 miles from Clinton, a town of about 7,000. The nearby community of Burns Flat, within walking distance of the base, had fewer than 100 residents.

The WAVES accommodations on base were initially as austere as the surrounding countryside as they lived in open-bay barracks. This meant no separate rooms and no privacy. The WAVES were pleased when they later moved into partitioned barracks with designated roommates.

The Navy introduced the new WAVES to their base and immediately put them to work. Ardith described her assignment at NAS Clinton.

“There were about six of us chosen for the VJ-6 Squadron. The hangers, the control tower, and anything pertaining to aviation was within this area. I had to wear a photo ID button to access our work area. The OIC (Officer in Charge) gave us a stern lecture that we could not discuss our work with anyone outside our work area. When the squadron was decommissioned later, we found out they were experimenting with drone planes. I still remember my 1st Commanding Officer — Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Ralph Hoefle. I was to keep records of flight gear, so I made up cards for every item that was in supply.”

The squadron’s second commander was Lieutenant (JG) Trueblood. He was impressed by Ardith and her roommate at that time, Hilda Hines, so he tried to get them work that they would enjoy. They worked in the radio section and then the packing and crating section.

Ardith recalled how their Navy service defined their lives beyond where they lived and worked.

“You were always in uniform. We always had to be in uniform when we were out of the barracks. As a group, we pretty much experienced a lot together. We all took our jobs seriously. When you live together, we just had to get along. We always entertained the idea that we would get a transfer to some other place, but it never happened.”

The WAVES bonded as a group and the Navy supported them in many ways.

“They did everything they could to make it as bearable as possible on base. They had movies every night and brought in entertainment occasionally. They had station dances. They would bring out girls from town because there weren’t enough WAVES on base.”

The WAVES occasionally ventured outside the base to the tiny community next door for a change.

“On the outskirts of the base was a small community not even the size of Florence. It was called Burns Flat. We walked over there to a little café and ordered eggs and toast. The lady who owned the café baked a birthday cake for one of the girls. She was the youngest of the girls and was homesick. She was thrilled!”

Ardith recalled Christmas 1943 was a big deal to the WAVES.

“My 1st Christmas away from home was in 1943. Of course we received boxes of goodies from home and we put it all together and enjoyed it together. They put together special dinners for us. Christmas dinner was one of those special dinners with a fancy, published menu. You learned to take things as they came – other girls were in the same boat – away from home for the holiday.”

Ardith also spent time to herself. She regularly attended Chapel services at a new Base Chapel that was built while they were there. She also wrote to her fiancé, Arden Sween, who was an Army cargo security officer stationed on the East Coast.

She and Arden married June 22, 1945, while home on leave. She had enough service points that she could have gotten out at any time. As it turned out, she was medically discharged from the Navy August 26, 1945 for pregnancy. She took a last train ride home and stayed with her folks while Arden completed his service. He was discharged and came home in February 1946.

Ardith reflected on what she found satisfying from her service time.

“There were so many experiences that I had outside of my actual work that gave me real satisfaction. Meeting so many fine girls from all over the country was really great. I look back and I wonder how did I ever decide to do what I did because I was never an adventurous person. I was glad I contributed something.”

Thank you for your service, Ardith.

— I welcome your participation in and ideas about this exploration of prairie lives. You may reach me at prairieviewpressllc@gmail.com.

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