Solange Marie Cloutier enlisted into the Army-Air Force in 1942. In civillian life she was a nurse's aide and she wanted to serve in the medical field in the service. When she first showed up at William's AFB, AZ, they had not developed training for women in the medical field. Until training was available, she was assigned to the air field lines driving gasoline trucks to refuel the air planes and also started and warmed up planes for the pilots.

When training was available, "Sally" went to Florida to take the medical course. Upon returning to Williams AFB, she was assigned to hospital work. It was work that she loved and she was a very caring and compassioale nurse. She started IV's, gave medications as ordered, did dressing changes, cared for men in isolation and burn patients.

After arriving at William's AFB she received a letter from her mother stating that she was publicly denounced by the parish priest because she "demeaned" herself by joining the Army. This was stated in the Church pulpit. When she went home on leave she made an appointment to talk with the priest who made the statement. She told him that if she wanted to be immoral she could just as well do it in Lawrence, MA as she could in the Army. It all depended on how a person wants to live his/her life. The priest made a public appology, from the pulpit, the next Sunday.

She also ran into such prejudice from her in-laws, shortly after she married, that made a family rift throughout most of her married life. Sallly was married to William R. Grambley Sept 1, 1945. She resigned from the Air Force in 1945 when she found herself pregnant. The services did not accept pregnant women for duty.

Solange M Grambley