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[Music] Tanner Iskra: Oh, let's get it. Monday, October 4th, 2021. Borne the Battle brought to you by the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs. The podcast that focuses on inspiring Veteran stories and puts a highlight on important resources, offices, and benefits for our Veterans. I'm your host Marine Corps Veteran Tanner Iskra. However you listen to Borne the Battle, be at Apple Podcast, Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio the player inside the blog on blogs.va.gov [Link: http://blogs.va.gov]. Hope you're having a good week outside of podcast land. You know, maybe it's because I missed concert season, but I want to go to a concert. And some recent music's recent stuff won't do. Like, I want to see some new metal or - I can't believe I'm saying it some butt rock. Give me old man Limp Bizkit, some Korn, Papa Roach, Breaking Benjamin. By the way, how crazy is that? That's now old school. I don't know. Getting out and going to a concert has been on my mind lately. Maybe it's because I'm a people person. I want to be among the masses. And I guess this podcast helps in that a little bit. So, I appreciate you as well, but yeah, don't at me, bro. That's what I'm into right now. I'm into some old school and Bizkit. Cause I mean, think about it. Those were some great times. How fun was that music? Let's get back to fun. I digress. One new rating and one new review came into the Apple Podcast. This one is from tonyresearch. It says five stars. For Vets by Vets. The Borne the Battle podcast as an excellent way to not only be informed, but stay connected. Listen in to a variety of Veteran and military related topics and learn about the different services the VA has to offer along with engaging stories from our nation's Veterans. Tonyresearch, I appreciate you. I feel like now we're connected. So appreciate the review. Appreciate letting everyone else what you're learning from Borne the Battle and thank you for the review. As you already know, I'm looking for that next review. If you haven't yet, please consider writing one for Borne the Battle on Apple Podcast. Doing so does help us climb higher in the algorithms, giving more Veterans a better opportunity to discover Borne the Battle and listen to the interviews, our benefits breakdown episodes, and hear what's in the news releases. It's also the best way for me to communicate with you. Give you a little bit of -you give me some feedback, I give you some feedback. It's all good. Here we go. News releases. We have four relevant news releases this week. So here we go. First one says, For Immediate Release: Launched this September, the Veterans Sponsor Partnership Network enables regional, non-monetary partnerships with community organizations to help transitioning service members and their families access VA services and community resources, such as employment opportunities, education benefits, and housing assistance. The VSPN initiative supports an evidence-based and collaborative approach - Of course everything is evidence-based, why would we even do something that isn't? - with community partners that helps VA meet its strategic priorities and deliver the support and services our Veterans deserve. Initiatives like VSPN along with VHA partnerships with organizations such as the nonprofit Expiration Term of Service Sponsorship Program. Say that three times fast - help transitioning service members integrate into the post-military community of their choice. This links them with local sponsors who are trained to help service members find and access local resources, build relationships and resiliency and help them through the transition process. Now, the news release goes on with some reports and research backing up these programs' effectiveness. If you want to read the documentation on how these programs have helped, I'll link to this news release at the bottom of this episode's blog on blogs.va.gov [Link: http://blogs.va.gov]. For more information on the Veterans Sponsor Partnership Network and how you as a Veteran or soon to be Veteran can take advantage of it, go to [Link: https://www.va.gov/HEALTHPARTNERSHIPS/vspn.asp]. All right. The next one says, For Immediate Release: The Department of Veterans Affairs has started administering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters under Emergency Use Authorization. This decision follows the FDA's authorization and the CDC's recommendation for a booster dose to people 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings, people aged 50 to 64 years old with underlying medical condition, people aged 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions, and people aged 18 to 64, who are at an increased risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting. There you go. Vaccines will be offered to veterans and VA employees. Vaccine boosters will be offered to Veterans receiving care at VA medical centers and employees who work in those facilities, as well. As the supply and capacity permits, VA will offer booster doses to all other Veterans, spouses, caregivers, and CHAMPVA recipients based on national authorization. Veterans who receive care in VA and are due for booster shots will be contacted and advised of recommended booster shots, which may be offered by appointment or on a walk-in basis. Veterans who received a Pfizer vaccine outside of VA, and persons who received a Pfizer vaccine in VA for whom we don't have records of their high-risk condition, will need to contact their local VA facility for more information about how they can receive their booster shot. CDC advises that people can get both the COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine at the same time. Veterans receiving care at VA who wish to get a booster shot can get both shots together during the same visit. Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine has been authorized as a booster shot. FDA and CDC continue to review data to determine whether and when a booster might be recommended for recipients of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. VA will plan to offer boosters of these vaccines if authorized and recommended. VA is also continuing to reach out to Veterans who have not yet been vaccinated. According to a recent CDC monitor report that monitored patients from April 4th to July 17th, even without a booster COVID-19 vaccines offer excellent protection and make it 10 times less likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19. Veterans who would like additional information can visit VA's COVID-19 vaccines webpage [Link: https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/], visit the local facility's website [Link: https://www.va.gov/find-locations/] or contact their care team. Va.gov also has a Questions webpage for questions and answers regarding COVID -19 vaccine. You can put the words COVID-19 questions in the search bar, hit enter, and it'll be right there as one of the first links. Okay. Next one says, For Immediate Release: The Department of Veterans Affairs is modifying benefit eligibility regulations for discharges considered dishonorable and seeks information to assist in crafting the new framework. Bottom line, this change will make more Veterans eligible to receive benefits. The first public virtual listening session will be on October 5th - so as of this podcast drop, tomorrow - to seek feedback. The second session will be held on October 6th. Each meeting will start at 8:50 AM Eastern time and conclude at or before 4:15 PM. Eastern time. The virtual check-in will begin at 8:00 AM. Interested parties are encouraged to sign up and may submit written comments, including data and research, if unable to attend. The virtual listening sessions will be held as WebEx events and will be open to the public to listen on a first come, first serve basis. Contact [Link: [email protected]]. For more information about the meeting and registering, or to speak or listen. Virtual attendance will be limited to the maximum allowed by WebEx. Written comments on this request for information must be received by VA on or before October 12th, as the request for information was published in the federal register on September 9th. Now, to find - request for information and the federal register, you can go to regulations.gov [Link: https://www.regulations.gov/] and search for the character of discharge under dockets and it will be at the top. You can read through the documents proposed and make comments. I think you have to sign up to make comments, but there've been 83 comments so far. Finally, the last one says, For Immediate Release: The Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with the Cybercrime Support Network to protect Veterans who are targeted for identity theft and other online scams. Launching in the Fall of 2021, the partnership will provide educational resources that strengthen online security for service members, Veterans, and their families and focus on recognizing, reporting and recovering from cybercrime. The education awareness campaign includes public service announcements via Comcast broadcast services and an online portal. FightCybercrime.org is a resource database for those impacted by cybercrime and online fraud. ScamSpotter.org is also a website to help Veterans identify scams and report fraudsters. The FTC also stated that between 2017 and 2021, the military and Veteran community reported over $820 million in losses from cybercrime. The result of these financial losses have a devastating impact on families, no kidding, careers and Veterans' overall wellbeing. The partnership includes 33 nonprofit service organizations. To learn more, go to [Link: https://cybercrimesupport.org]. All right. We have a very unique guest this week. I have never had a 100 plus year-old Veteran on Borne the Battle until now. She was part of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and they were the only all-female, all black unit deployed overseas during the World War II. See, by February of 1945, the mail in Europe was a complete mess. Millions of pieces of mail were in warehouses in England, and it was thought to, un-jacking it up was going to take about six months. Our guest and the others at her unit did it in about six weeks. Now, after World War II, she joined the Air Force and was also the first female to command an all-male squadron. Her story has been recorded in the documentary "Six Triple Eight" and by the Library of Congress. She is Army and Air Force Veteran, Fannie Griffin McClendon. Enjoy. [Music] Tanner Iskra (TI): Fannie, I think you're the first Centurion that I've ever interviewed in my lifetime. So I appreciate that. Fannie Griffin McClendon (FGM): Yes, really? (TI): Yes ma'am. The first question we always ask here on Born the Battle is when and where did you know that military service was going to be the next step in your life? (FGM): When I graduated from high school and the war broke out- (TI): Yes. And what year was that? (FGM): I had just graduated from high school. (TI): Oh, right when the war broke out. So was it 1940? (FGM):1941. (TI): So what made you want to join the military service? Was it just the war or what was that? (FGM): There was a lot of advertisement and everything going on and, so I just thought. I'll give it a try. And, it's not nice to say that my mother had remarried and I didn't particularly like her husband too, so that gave me another push to go into. (TI): [Laughter] Yes ma'am, yes ma'am. Got you out of the house. (TI): Well, Ms. Fanny, recently in the last couple of decades, there've been a lot of segregated units that were lost in time until recently. Those stories are starting to be rediscovered. If you will, Tuskegee Airman, Buffalo soldiers, Wax, Montfort Point Marines, Hellhounds from World War One. The six triple eight. Talk to me about them. (FGM): That was in World War One and that was Army. (TI): Yes ma'am, the six triple eight. Talk to me about - (FGM): Not World War One, World War Two, what am I talking about. I'm sorry. Both: [Laughter] (TI): No, no you're good. (FGM): Six triple eight was a postal unit that was sent over to England to clear up a lot of mail because I guess the English were not taking care of it too well, and I guess it was one place that they could put a bunch of 700- 800 black women. Both: [Laughter] (TI): So you were in England there. So the six triple eight, the 6888 Central Postal Director Battalion. How and why did it get formed to begin with. (FGM): I don't know why, the why was to clear up all this mail that was going all over Europe. Apparently, they'd been having a problem. And a lot of people wondering why we were not asked to go overseas when other units were asked to go overseas. So they called they found a place to put us. (TI): Gotcha ma'am, so what was, you know, in the era of internet service, where Internet's everywhere and there's video chatting and there's video chatting on your- (FGM): [Laughter] I love it. I'm learning. (TI): [Laughter] I love that you're learning. (TI): You know, and then you can video chat on your phone. Now I fear that this generation that they don't understand the morale factor of a handwritten letter. When I was in Iraq in 2005, we were right before everything changed digitally. My future wife, she was writing to me a handwritten letter every day I was out in Iraq and I looked forward to those letters, you know, she'd soak them in perfume and everything. Talk to me about what did it mean for the soldiers out there on the front lines of World War II? To get a piece of- (FGM): I'm sure that it meant a lot, because when we got to England, we had this, months of mail just piled up in tents and they told us, "Oh, they will take you about four months to get rid of it." And I think we got rid of it in a very short time and got back on schedule. (TI): Yeah. I think the mission was six months and you got it done in three, right? (FGM): Yes, yes. (TI): Got it. So you were an all-black, all female unit deployed- (FGM): All female yes. (TI): -deployed to a war zone in a foreign country. What were some of the hardships that you faced ma'am and how did you overcome them? (FGM): Well, most of the time we had three shifts and most of the time I was on the shift from one o'clock in the morning. There were three shifts. The only thing that bothered me a lot was that the English were very strict on making sure that the lights and everything were out, but we had to cross a railroad track that they dimmed the lights on the doggone thing, and you could hardly hear it. And that was the only thing that bothered me. Other than that, I was fine. And in England the people were very friendly. We took this old school and we did it so that the girls would have a place where their offices were, put in paper, a home for us close to the school, but the girls did all the painting and redoing of this whole school. (TI): Miss Fannie, where are you originally from? Where, are you originally from? (FGM): Louisiana- (TI): Louisiana. (FGM): -but my mother moved to New York, when I was in high school and that's where I joined the service at home, 39 Whitehall Street. (TI): Gotcha. (TI): Well, one of my very favorite, one of my really close friends from the Marine Corps is from Louisiana. He's from Cutoff, Louisiana. I don't know where it's at, where it is, but I know he's back there right now. (FGM): I'm not sure where it is either. Both: [Laughter] (TI): Very good. Very good. So the six triple eight, they had some casualties as well, correct? The battalion? (FGM): Excuse me? I couldn't, I didn't understand that. (TI): No worries. The six triple eight battalion, you all had some casualties as well, correct? Basically, the six triple eight, I've read that they make up three of the four female graves at Normandy. Is that right? (FGM): That happened in France, because I remember I was a supervisor of the group who went to this outfit for this dinner party and so forth. But that was in France. (TI): Where they a part of the six triple eight? (FGM): Yes, they were, the units, quite often, if we were near a male unit anywhere on the weekend, sometimes they would invite the girls over to eat, or, music, dancing and like that. And I was one of the three officers who went with those girls when we went to this particular unit and apparently, three of them got in a Jeep, with some of the unit people and that's how that happened. I had a friend from New York, he wanted to pass out. And I said, "Don't pass out on me now." The commander said actually, they could identify two of the girls, but they couldn't identify one. He said they didn't have dog tags on. So I had to wait, to go over to the field hospital to identify her. And the rest of the girls went back to the unit. The commander drove me back to my unit after I had identified this girl. (TI): Gotcha. So it must've been a pretty terrible wreck there. (FGM): It was, yeah apparently. I don't know. And you tell them, "Don't do this. Don't do that." But they're women. (TI): That's right they're young men and women in service in war. So this was in France. Was this- (FGM): This was in Rouen. This was in Rouen, France. (TI): -okay. So did, did the battalion moved from England to France at a certain time? (FGM): Excuse me? (TI): So did the battalion moved from England to France at a certain time? (FGM): Yes, after, Germany, after the war was over in Germany. (TI): Okay. So this was during occupation after the war was over. (FGM): We knew that we were going to go to France, but we enjoyed it. Both: Laughter. (TI): Now Ms. Fanny- (FGM): Now I miss it. (TI): I bet, I bet. Now Ms. Fannie, there's a documentary out there that tells the story about this unit that you are a part of, how important is it for you now that this story is out there being told? (FGM): Well, it's interesting because I just thought I was a part of the service like everybody else, we went home, told our families what we went to do, what we had done, that sort of thing. I didn't get excited about having a drum beat or anything like that. I understand some people say, "Well we didn't have any parades or anything." I wasn't looking for a parade. I was just looking to get home and tell my folks, all the things I had done overseas. (TI): Yes ma'am. Matter of fact but as of right now, people are bringing it up cause it kind of got lost to history there for many years that this was a unit out there. Matter of fact, like many segregated units and many segregated people, you know, Chinese Americans from World War Two, the afore mentioned Montford Point Marines and others, they've all received a congressional gold medal, the six triple eight you're currently in that process too, correct? (FGM): Well, I, you know, I don't understand because several people have questioned me and why should I be upset? There were other people who went overseas and I'm sure they didn't have the accolades that people think that they should have had, but it's nice to know that they are remembering us now. But, I mean, if they had done it, it wouldn't have been any difference to me. (TI): Thank you. You're amazing. Ms. Fannie. You're amazing. Do you know if some of the, but I'm sure I'm sure it probably means something to some of the ladies, you know, because again, nobody even knew this story until maybe two or three years ago. (FGM): Yeah, that's interesting. And after I'd been out of the service and back into the Air Force. [laughter] (TI): That's right, after the war you left the service like many others- (FGM): Well, after I got out was discharged at Camp Lee, Virginia, I guess it's Fort Lee, that is what it was called later. And, I started going to school in New York and got a job at Macy's and stayed there for a while. And then when I found out, when they notified me that they were going to make the women services a permanent part of the military, they wrote if I was interested in coming back, well Macy's was nice, but it wasn't the greatest thing in my eyes. Both: [Laughter] (TI): You wanted to get back in, you were ready to get back in uniform. (FGM): I said, "Yeah I guess we're going again." You had to have recommendations from some of your old commanders in the Army. And one of my commanders wrote and he said, "Well, you had the experience of the Army. Why not go in the Air Force? It's different, it's new and you might like it." And so that's why I joined the Air Force. I didn't go back in the Army. (TI): Very good. So, you became, is it true, you became the first female commander in the Air Force? (FGM): Yeah, I think that was published, out of all the people out of office, because that was my first duty station in the Air Force. (TI): Yeah, the 509th service- (FGM): 509, that's right. (TI): -the 509th service. From what I understand it was an all-male unit, not even a female young Airman, that had to have been - what leadership qualities came into play there to get lead men? (FGM): The interesting thing then, in some cases most of the men were not used to being told by a woman what to do. But, I had one man who was assigned to me and he went to the commander and said he just couldn't work for a woman. And so the commander sent 30. But the interesting thing about him was he would come by so often and ask if there's anything he could help me with. Both: [Laughter] (TI): The same guy, the same Airman? (FGM): The same guy who said he would not like to work for women. But, I don't know where he is today, but he kept up with me until I got back in the States. Tanner Isrka: Oh, wow. (FGM): And there were people in the unit, well, about four guys who was born in the United States, but re-enlisted and they went back to Ireland and England. That, I thought was quite interesting. I was even at both of their weddings. (TI): Wow. what leadership qualities for, if there's any, young female women out there that are looking to lead in the military today, what were some of the leadership qualities helped you in that journey? (FGM): I don't know. I had a great mom. I had a great mom who felt that nobody could outdo anything that you told her that she couldn't do. If you told her she couldn't do it, don't do it because she'd get it done. (TI): Yes ma'am. Yes. Ma'am. (FGM): That's when I go back in life. My father was in World War One, but he died when I was only five years old, and my mom had two kids to raise. Didn't like the idea of my going in the service. I had a sister who was younger, and she wouldn't let her go. And she blamed me all her life. She wasn't allowed to go in the service because of me. (TI): Your mom was like, "I already got one baby in the service, I ain't giving two." (FGM): "That's right," she says, "I'm not giving two children to the military." (TI): Wow, wow. (FGM): You know, it wasn't a fun thing, but it was an interesting thing. Cause I always loved history and geography and to be able to see the places that I had studied about both in England and in France. And of course, later on in Spain and it was interesting, it was really interesting. (TI): It is, it is. (FGM): Coming out of Louisiana and knowing a little bit about the French, that helped a lot. (TI): Gotcha, being in that cage down there, probably have a little bit of French in you. (FGM): There was one thing that happened, this is after I was married, of course, you know, the service don't promise they are going to keep you together if you get married. Yeah. I met my husband in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was in personnel that's the only thing that helped me and he knew people at the Guard and we got with them and they got us together. But ordinarily that doesn't happen. (TI): No, no. Especially with the Air Force, they're usually flush with cash and don't care if they got to pay that separation pay. Whereas the Marine Corps is a little cheap about that. They'll keep you together just to save a buck, you know. (FGM): Yeah, well, it got alright. (TI): So let me make, oh gosh, Ms. Fannie while you were in, can you give me either a best friend or your greatest mentor? (FGM): A best friend, well, I had, there were four of us that went around together, and two of them were in my OCS class in Des Moines when I was in the Army. And, they're all gone now, unfortunately, when we were in New Hampshire, that was the last one. And I just received a card from her daughter. She just had twins and I know her mother would have loved that. (TI): Wow. That's amazing that you still keep in touch with the kids. (FGM): Yeah. There's kids who are writing me that I don't even know. Both: [Laughter] (FGM): The grandmother. I got two letters from Minnesota and, another letter from Ohio. And I guess, I don't know the information that's out that tells them where we are or they must know someone who is in service or something. So every once in a while, I get a note from someone. (TI): Wow. Wow. So you all must have been pretty close as friends. Now, Ms. Fanny, you retired after 26 years of service leaving- (FGM): Over 26 years, you gotta count that half. (TI): Excuse me. Over 26. Yes, ma'am you got to count that half. Both: [Laughter] (FGM): Absolutely. (TI): Yeah, that's important. Yeah. I was told by a friend- (FGM): That's both between the Army and the Air Force. Cause the Army, I think was four years or something like that, I'm not exactly sure. (TI): You got to count every day, every month. Absolutely. Absolutely. So you did over 26 years of service retiring in 1971. What did you do the first day as a civilian? (FGM): My husband was interested in getting his PhD and he wanted to come to ASU. And so we left New Hampshire, we both retired right around the same time. And so we came to Arizona for him to go to school. And we just, we sold our house. Somebody wanted to buy a house back in New Hampshire, and we'd been here ever since I've lost him. But he taught school in several of the high schools here. (TI): Okay. Yeah. I went to Arizona State myself. I went on online on the computer. Yes ma'am. Yes. Ma'am. (FGM): Have you been here recently? (TI): I graduated there in 2018, so I actually went, I never actually was on campus. I was on the online, on the computer. (FGM): Yeah, unbelievable school, you wouldn't know the place- (TI): Yeah, I did get to go and I did get to go and walk on graduation there though. It was it was good- (FGM): Even the golf course, they're getting rid of the golf course and they're going to build something over there. It doesn't have much space. So I mean, if you want to build something, you better knock something down. (TI): That's crazy. Yeah, it was pretty tight. It was pretty tight. (FGM): Were you from here? (TI): No, no, I went to school, while I was working. So I would work, I would do night school in North Carolina, but it was for Arizona State. Yes ma'am, yes. (FGM): Oh, so you were a long way from home. (TI): I'm originally from Seattle, actually. (FGM): Oh, from Seattle, okay. (TI): But I live in Washington. (FGM): I've never been to that area. The furthest north I went to San Francisco just to visit friends. I did lot of traveling when I was overseas, I think one of the funny things that happened that you might be interested in. (TI): Yes. Ma'am, (FGM): You know, when it comes time, when you go overseas, the assignment came in and I was to go to North Africa, and the commander when I was in North Africa, when he found out that I was a woman, he didn't want a woman squadron commander in his unit, and this is Air Force. And so they had to reassign me, and they were going to reassign me in England. And I'd say, "Oh, that's fine, I've been to England before that'd be great." Then a Colonel walked in and looked at the assignments in personnel. He says, "Oh, I liked that assignment." So the next one, the Sergeant called me up and he says, "Ma'am, can you come to personnel? Honestly, do you have an assignment?" And he said, "Ma'am, just come over to personnel." As soon as I walked in the door and he said, "Don't go to the club and have a drink and tell anybody anything." He said, "I can't find anymore assignments for you." (TI): He said, "You quit talking about where we're sending you and we will get you somewhere good." (FGM): He said, "You're going to stay now and keep it quiet and we're working on seeing if your husband can go along with you." See I was in fact, and he was in the, he has a commander. And so they had to work with two commands in order to get us together. I've seen the gentlemen, the Colonel, while I was going to school at the University of New Hampshire, I met him at the club and we were talking about assignments and suddenly it occurred to him, I was the one he had turned down. Yes. And he said, so he says, after talking with me for a while, we had a couple of drinks here, you know, "I'm sorry" he says, "I want to apologize, if I would've known you were so much fun. I never would have turned you down." It was funny things that happened in my life. (TI): Ms. Fannie is, seems like back in the day you were a lot of fun. I definitely would have had a couple of drinks with you as well. Absolutely. Okay. So you, after you got out of the service, you started up an antique store that you just recently closed. (FGM): I learned an awful lot about antiques while I was in England and also in New England when we moved to New England, especially in England, because at the time you remember in England, they put everything in vaults during the war. (TI): Yes. (FGM): Well, when they opened the vault, a lot of people didn't go back for the things that they had. So they used to have auctions and things and I'd go to the auctions and I learned a lot there. (TI): Wow. So you saw some of stuff that Germans confiscated. (FGM): Huh? (TI): So you saw a lot of the stuff that the Germans had confiscated during the war. (FGM): Yes (TI): What was one of the neatest things that you saw in one of those auctions, in those vaults? (FGM): I still have it and it's a wine valet. That was just beautiful. It was all cut glass. And I hope not to get rid of it ever. But I bought other things, my dishes, we were able to go to the Wedgwood factory while I was stationed over there, and I ordered a set of dishes and I still have that. (TI): Wow. So that's been with you for 80 years or more. (FGM): Well, you know, you take advantage while you're there. I traveled all over England during the time I was there, someone said, "Well, where did you work?" I said, "Well, I had worked, but sometimes I had time off." We'd go down to, London, to the theatre. And that's the time I saw Mr. Churchill coming out of Number 10 Downing St., There were lots of things happen in my life. So I can't say I was unhappy in the service. (TI): No, sounds like you had a great time. (FGM): But I enjoyed it in France. We didn't work as hard because we had the German prisoners. Both: [Laughter] (FGM): And they did all the cooking and everything in the dining room and all. And when these girls, were killed in, in France, my commander found out that when they buried the soldiers there, it was in a shelter house. And so she figured she didn't want that to happen, so they went into the town and got wood and the German prisoners built caskets for the girls to be buried in. (TI): Oh wow. That's an amazing story. (FGM): Well, it's, you know, you do what you have to do. (TI): Yes ma'am, that's amazing. So I want to get back to antiquing for just half a second. So, are you, as far as antiquing, are you an avid Pawn Stars or Antiques Road Show or an American Pickers watcher? (FGM): No, not really. I've seen, you know, the Road Show and all that, but I specialize in crystal. I like crystal and still do. The unfortunate thing today is a lot of young people are not interested. (TI): No, you know what you're right about that. Why do you think that is? (FGM): I don't know. I guess there's so many other things like learning how to use one of these doggone telephones. Both: [Laughter] (FGM): You know, there are so many things now that you don't even have to think anymore. All you do is push a button or something like that. I'm trying to learn. I got a new telephone the other day. I was telling you I got it, but I haven't really learned to use it yet. (TI): Gotcha. While I like that, you're still learning. You're taking the time to try to learn new stuff though. Even at a hundred. That's amazing. (FGM): Oh, well, I'm trying, I haven't given up. (TI): That's right, that's right. Ms. Fannie, what is one thing that you learned during your time in the military that you apply, that you applied to what you did after the service and even to what you do today? (FGM): Well, my husband and I like to travel. He's from Pennsylvania, graduated from, Oberlin College in Ohio, and he loved teaching. And from time to time, we would take time off, you know, in the summer. And, that's how we got up to San Francisco and places like that. (TI): So during, your- (FGM): Only other place that I went before I was with him, I went to Chicago to visit a friend, just passing through. She lived to next door to Jesse Owen. (TI): So you would say travel- (FGM): That's how I got to meet Jesse Owen. I got to meet some interesting people. (TI): No kidding! (FGM): I got to meet General LeMay. I was in person. I was in supply, and they needed something for the B-52. And we had to go up to Nevada, Utah, to get it so my boss says, "You ever been up to Utah?" I say, "No, sir. I have not." So he says, "Well, we got to go there to the park. They need something for the B-52." So I did go up with him. But the Air Force, the Army, I don't know if you've heard, but they get very upset with the Air Force. You don't walk in a requisition, walk in and have a requisition and expect to get the item, you send the requisition in, and they call you, then you come pick it up. Well, it was a Friday, and the Sergeant took one look at us and says, well, we won't be open until Monday. Both: [Laughter] (TI): Oh wow. (FGM): My pilot was from California, and that was one of my first trips to California. And he said, "You ever been to California? And I said, "Well, what's happening?" He says, "Well, they're not going to take care of us until Monday. And so we may as well do something and I'm close to home." And so I said, "Well, okay." He said, "Okay, pull up your hips girl, let's go." I had some friends in California and I saw them. I was at March Air Force Base and they picked me up and he gave me instructions of were to be on Sunday night to go back to pick up this equipment, and we did. So when we had to go and brief, the general and the people who were going to use these parts, he says, "You better come with me" because he says, "I might forget some of the things that we had." So I went with him and that's how I met the general. I didn't have an unhappy life in the service. (TI): It doesn't sound like you did. (FGM): That time when I thought it was pretty awful that they didn't let me in. We, when we were in basic training, you had to give a list of things you wanted from The BX because the black girls couldn't go in The BX. (TI): Oh wow. (FGM): Oh, crazy things had happened. (TI): Well, ma'am, my hats off to you because it was because of women like you, that went and did that during that time that is not a thing anymore. So, and it started with you and I appreciate you. I know they do too. (FGM): Thank you. (TI): Yeah, so I guess the one thing that you learned during your time in the military was the love of travel. You love to travel. (FGM): Yeah, I do. (TI): Yeah. so, Ms. Fannie, the audience of this podcast is mostly Veterans, mostly, VA employees. Is there anything that I've missed or haven't asked that you think it's important to share for anybody that's listening to this? (FGM):Today there is so many things that women can get into, and I don't know if this would suit what they would like to do or not, but, to me as the war was going on, and there were things that had to be done, like the ladies who worked on the planes and all that sort of thing, but I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been a war as I was in school. And I wanted it to be a teacher, was accepted at Harvard University, but then I was on my way to the service that was over. Both: [Laughter] (TI): What about, for maybe a perspective young service member or a young Veteran that says I want to be the next Fanny Griffin McClendon, you know, as it looks to- (FGM): Oh, you know, I haven't met one yet, but I'm hoping to. Both: [Laughter] (TI): Do you have any advice for the young ladies out there? (FGM): I tried to apply myself to whatever was happening in the area at the time or the place that we were being sent to or something like that and learn something about it. And actually, it went right along with the things that I was doing in school. So, I had a mom who was a little too curious about a lot of things. And I guess I got a lot of that from her. She never said, "I won't do that." Or "I can't." There was so much to learn. There's so much to learn today with all this electronic stuff that's getting to me. I'm not giving up. (TI): Right. No, you're not. Well, Fannie, thank you so much for joining us here on Borne the Battle. Thank you so much for taking the time. (FGM): Where are you calling from? (TI): I'm calling from Washington DC. I can't believe I didn't tell you. (FGM): Well, that is not one of my favorite cities but that's okay. (TI): [Laughter] Not one of mine either ma'am I just work here. I just work in the area. That's where the job was. (FGM): Well, that's where the job is. The job you went there for, you probably tried out a lot more stuff before you went there about Virginia and all those cities and states around in that area. My only time I tried going to Virginia, there was an assignment that they needed four women, and there were two. Two black and two white, and it was a last-minute assignment for this school at Fort Lee Virginia or whatever they call it here today. And so I was able to see that area a lot during the time I was there, but it's still, the second thing is, as a rank among second lieutenants, I was the ranking second Lieutenant and I had all the paperwork you know. So we were told we could not get sleepers until we got on the other side of Ohio, the lower part of Ohio, and so I had all the paperwork and all well, we got on the train there and got settled, sat and played cards and everything. And in some place called Bluefield, West Virginia one of the people came through and said, "All of the white folks follow me." One girl was from Virginia. One was from Massachusetts. I was from New York and, the other girl was from Alabama, the black girl was from Alabama, and she kept saying, "Griffin, don't say anything that you're from New York, this is the way things are done." And I'm saying, "What you talking about?" So like the one from Massachusetts didn't know what to do, but the one from Virginia knew what to do, so she grabbed her and off they went. Well, I still had all the paperwork. So when we got to the place where we had to change over to get the sleepers. She says, "Are you going to go try to fight him?" I said, "No, the white folks, let them be white folks." (TI): Wow. (FGM): We are going to get into Camp Lee, into the train station there, so, well, I knew all the things I had to do, call the base, get transportation, report in and all. And I didn't see them. I didn't see them because I was in a black waiting room. They came, they pick us and we went, we reported it and they took us to our quarters. Which is the quarters for all four of us. So about three or four hours later, in come these two old gals coming up the steps and I'm laughing and I'm saying, "Why are you all back?" and of course by this time Williams says "Relax," the one from Mississippi, I mean, from Alabama. And so they said, "Well, you know they didn't have any paperwork so they can't take us into the city" and that they didn't know how to get to the post and had to get a taxi. (TI): So they had a rough time. (FGM): We were there for four weeks, the week before I said, "Let's go down" Oh, by the way I handed them all their paperwork and said, "You're good girls, you take care of yourself from here on out." And the week before graduation, I said, "Williams, let's go down and get a reservation to go back to Des Moines because you know how hard it is to get a sleeper." And so we did, so at graduation, one comes over to me and she said, "Did you get a reservation?" I said, "No, I didn't have any paperwork." They stayed up all the way back to Des Moines. There were times it was kind of funny. Yes it was. I think I wasn't very worried about anything. And to me that was funny. (TI): Yeah. You were figuring out a way to work through it correct? (FGM): Exactly. Exactly. (TI): Good to know. Well, Fannie, thank you so much for joining us. It's been a pleasure to talk with you and we're out of here. Thank you so much. (FGM): Thank you for calling. [Music] Veteran: VA does a very good job on the medical side. I don't know of anybody that has any complaints. My primary care doctor is probably the best doctor I've ever had in my life. Woman: He is one of my friends, a good patient of mine. He only comes once a week, but I do, I enjoy him. Veteran: She comes in special. Woman: Yes, I do. Veteran: Early in the morning--just for me. Veteran: That's exactly why I choose VA. Narrator: Choose VA today. Visit va.gov [Link: va.gov] [Music] (TI): I want to thank Fannie and her niece for facilitating that phone call. Learned a lot. Amazing woman. You can find more about Fannie and her unit, the Six Triple Eight Postal Battalion at www.womenofthe6888th.org [Link: www.womenofthe6888th.org]. And you can also watch the doc, The Six Triple Eight. This week's Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week. It's by way of news4jax.com and it's the number four [Link: www.news4jax.com]. Zane Jones is a comedian, United States Marine Corps Veteran, and now an Emmy award-winning executive producer. He said, "I literally just graduated school two months ago before winning an Emmy. I just think that this is great, but how do I feel now? How do I navigate forward? How do I continue to progress? How do I leverage this?" Jones and his team of six African American producers and filmmakers won the 2021 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Day Fiction program. Their story, The Girl in Apartment 15, highlights domestic violence. Before attending the New York film academy in Los Angeles Film School, he was a Marine for five years. He grew up in Duvall County in Florida and went to Englewood and Sandalwood High Schools. As for what's next for Jones, he's currently executive producing a film, acting in another movie, and as the host of a late-night talk show." Although they didn't say where you can find it. Marine Veteran Zane Jones, congrats and thank you for your service. That's it for this week's episode, if you yourself would like to nominate a future Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week so we can all learn their story, you can. Just send an email to [email protected], include a short writeup and let us know why you'd like to see him or her as the Borne the Battle Veteran of the Week. And if you liked this podcast episode, hit the subscribe button. We're on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast, iHeartRadio, pretty much any podcatching app on a phone, computer tablet, or man. For more stories on Veterans and Veteran benefits, check out our website, blogs.va.gov, and follow the VA on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube RallyPoint, LinkedIn, DEPTVetAffairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. No matter the social media, you can always find us with that blue check mark. And as always, I'm reminded by people smarter than me to remind you that the Department of Veterans Affairs does not endorse or officially sanction any entities that may be discussed in this podcast, nor any media products or services they may provide. I say this because the song you're hearing now is called "Machine Gunner," which is courtesy of the non-profit Operation Song. And it was written by Marine Veteran Mick McElhenny, Nashville Songwriter Jason Sever, and Mykal Duncan. Have a great day. Thank you for listening. We'll see you right here next week. Take care. [Music]