Peachy, Betty Oral History

Peachy_Betty_01292004 edited

Betty Peachy (maiden name Kayser) was born in Fort Wayne, IN in April 1925 and raised in Auburn, IN. She was adopted at 5 years old and describes her childhood as not ideal. She graduated from Mcintosh High School in 1942. She worked menial jobs until age 20. She then decided to go into the Marine Corp. She liked them because they were the best and she had someone dear to her in the Marine Corp. The nearest recruiter was in Chicago, IL. She took a 100 mile train trip to meet the recruiter, but did not pass the physical (she had a sore throat) and she had a typographical error on her birth certificate. The doctor fixed her throat, and she fixed the birth certificate, but since she was 20 years old, she needed permission from her foster mother to go in. Her mother was very reluctant and asked for an allotment to sign the paper. She went to boot camp in July 1945 at Camp Lejeune and really enjoyed it. She had some typing skills and used them to create menus while at boot camp. During the interview, she shares some of her favorite songs she learned in the Marines. She was then assigned to the headquarters of the Marine Corp at Henderson Hall in Arlington, VA. She worked in the Navy Annex in the Fund Allotment office to keep records for fellow Marines. She also remembers marching in the parade for Admiral Nimitz. She served during WWII and was discharged in Aug 1945 with the rank of Corporal. She decided to get married to a Marine and moved to Cherry Point after her discharge. Her son was born in 1947 and her and her husband returned to Indiana. Her husband left the Marine Corp in April 1948. They moved to California in 1953.