Kemmerer, Janet Oral History

Kemmerer_Janet_09022006

Janet Kemmerer was born in Lancaster, Ohio in 1939. She graduated from high school in 1957 and went to Ohio State University for one year. Janet's parents had 14 children and she was the oldest girl and the second child. She left college after one year to join the Marine Corp in Sep 15, 1958 because her parents could no longer afford college. Janet was one of 80 women in her boot camp company at Paris Island. Janet spent 11 months at Camp Pendleton, CA assigned to the communications field. She then got transferred to Camp H. M. Smith in Hawaii assigned to the Fleet Marine Force Pacific in the communications center. In her free time, Janet participated in inter-service sports events. In 1960, the women's Marine Corp basketball teamwon the all women's basketball tournament in El Toro, CA. Janet completed her tour of duty and went back home to Ohio. 26 days later she re-entered the Marine Corps and was re-assigned back to Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. Leaving Hawaii, she received orders to Paris Island, CA as a drill instructor from Jan 1965 - Sep 1966 and was commissioned a Second LT. Some of Janet's follow on tours included Camp Lejuene, NC; Marine Corp Base Quantico,VA; Officer in Charge of Communications Center and Telephone Facilities of Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, Japan, back to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune as Officer in Charge of the Commnications Center; and Telecommunications Division at Marine Corps HQ, Washington D.C. Janet retired from the Marine Corps with 23 years of service as a Major with her last duty assignment at CGMF Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPac) on 1 October, 1981 and returned to Lancaster, Ohio. She trained and completed her education and worked in counseling with abused men and women.