Elle- United States Coast GuardHistory is challenging and can be confusing to document, especially the sequences of events as they occurred. Sometime in the early 1940’s between the time Elle had her marriage to Skeets annulled and started college while working as a burger, milkshake and soda car hop, she joined the United States Coast Guard. She didn’t see herself this way but she obviously was adventurous.
The servicemen were not home yet even though the war in Europe was officially over. They were still fighting in Japan after Germany had surrendered. This was before the bombs were dropped in Japan to force an end to the fighting. Right after Skeets went overseas as part of the forces in the occupied areas in Germany, Elle decided to join the United States Coast Guard. Elle said there was a lot of cleaning up to do in the war torn places after the German surrender.
Although she had already filed for an annulment Elle was concerned about Skeets. She was still a young girl but also wanted to do something to help the war cause- to make a positive difference. She wanted to do something that might help since so many of our men were soldiers and not on our own shores to do the things that were usually under male jurisdiction.
Elle and her commanding officer didn’t get along mainly because she wouldn’t consent to his continual hitting on her to spend the weekend with him. Elle was working in a supply place and because she wouldn’t go out with the commanding officer he started giving her a hard time in various ways one of which was having her hair cut short. Since they didn’t get along she wanted out and he was willing to turn in papers for her early release. Elle’s desires to make a difference for her country and freedom were interfered with by sexual harassment before it had a name.This is something Elle had to deal with throughout her life because men would hit on her -she was beautiful.
Elle in United States Coast Guard uniform
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