Lucas, Carmen Oral History

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Carmen Lucas was born in San Diego, CA in Aug 1935. She is part Native American as her father was one of the last Kwaaymii Indians of the Laguna Mountains. She grew up in Pacific Beach and in Mount Laguna. She remembers Pearl Harbor and the changes that occurred in her community. Camouflage, rationing, etc. She graduated from La Hoya High School in 1954. Her brother joined the Navy during the Korean War and when Carmen graduated high school, her and her twin sister joined the Marine Corp on the Nov 18, 1954. They joined in LA and went to Parris Island via a train that took 4 days. After boot camp, she was transferred back to San Diego, CA to work in subsistence supply. There she learned about, food inspection, and forklift operation. She eventually re-enlisted and went to Marine Corps Air Space in El Toro in March 1957. Around that time, her sister got married and left the Marine Corp. In 1958, she went to Parris Island as a drill instructor for two years. She returned to recruit command at San Diego to do subsistence supply. After a brief period in recruitment school, she became a recruiter in Hartford Connecticut. There she was promoted to Sergeant and got married. In 1964 she went back to El Toro as the subsistence accounting clerk. In 1967 she was transferred to Iwakuni, Japan as the Vietnam War was just getting into full swing. She was one of the first service women there. She requested and was given the job of noncommissioned officer in charge of the issue commissary. Her staff was primarily Japanese and she was very impressed by them. The were clean and did not waste food. They were also warm and she was exposed to a lot of their culture. She stayed in Japan for 18 months. She visited Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Da Nang during this time. Returning to El Toro, she applied for the Warrant Officer Program. She spent a year as a Senior Drill Instructor at Parris Island and then was promoted to Warrant Officer and transferred to Barstow, CA in 1969, assigned to consumable supplies. Staying there until 1971 to go to 29 Palms to be closer to her father. She retired in 1974 and went to the College of the Desert, specializing in art history/general education.

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