March 29, 2024

Grinnell resident gives DAR program about service during WWII

The regular meeting of the Grinnell DAR Chapter was held Sept. 12 at the Hawkeye Stages building in Newton with 22 members and one guest present.

Regent Kristin Macy and Chaplain Mary Rethmeier led the Opening Ritual. Regent Macy led in the Pledge of Allegiance and the American Creed. The NSDAR President General’s message was given by Kris Macy and the National Defense message was given by Linda Hatch.

The following reports were given: Registrar Darlene Leib reported three prospective members, one new member, three deaths and a total of 59 members; Suzanne Van Zandt reported that Sept. 17 marked the 228th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution; Barbara Jones gave a Conservation report on the Osprey Release Program at Don Williams Lake.

A memorial service was held for Ranne’ Michelle Sioux, 95, who passed away June 11, 2015. She was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps serving during World War II and a DAR member for 35 years.

The program was given by DAR member, Cheryl Hoerler Cocking, of Grinnell, about her service in World War II.

Hoerler enlisted with the WAVES on March 25, 1943, at Chicago and spent three weeks at boot camp at Hunter College in the Bronx, N.Y. After boot camp came technical school. Cocking wanted to be a radio operator so she had learned Morse Code on her own. This helped her be selected for radio school.

Radio school was held at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and lasted from April through the summer. The Madison community treated the service members very well. Classes were held from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., but there was still time for fun. Cocking related many happy memories of times spent on the Lake Mendota beach swimming, sailing and canoeing. Her family came for her graduation, and she then went home to Erie, Ill., for a 10-day furlough before reporting to her duty station.

Her duty station was with the 8th Naval District Headquarters in New Orleans. Cocking was among the first WAVES to arrive. They were housed at the Lafayette Hotel which the Navy had taken over for housing sailors. They worked three shifts: 3 to 11 p.m., 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In December, she moved out of Lafayette Hotel into a big colonial house with three roommates. They did not all work the same shift. It was 14 blocks to work, and they used the street cars to get to work. New Orleans was a new experience as was the streetcar line. One day when Cocking got on the streetcar, there was a sign that said, “Coloreds Only.” The only place to sit was behind the lady sitting behind the sign. But when she tried to sit there, the conductor made her go back to the front of the car where she stood until her stop.

Recreation off duty included bicycle riding, horse riding and clubbing. The President Riverboat docked winters in New Orleans where they held parties and dancing. They were also four blocks from the French Quarter off Canal Street.

The WAVES also worked to sell War Bonds. One afternoon, Cocking and her friend went to the big airplane factory in New Orleans and sold $23,000 worth of bonds.

As a radio operator, Cocking sent and received messages in code. Each operator had their own station with their communication panels. One circuit in plain language was used for ships guarding the air stations. One circuit for weather ships in the Gulf of Mexico was in code and had lots of static. Sometimes it might take most of a shift to get one message completed. There was also a machine which allowed you to type the message in code and send it rather than use the key. There was another machine called a BUG. Everything went in code. Another circuit was called FOX and went to Washington, D.C. Cocking was working the FOX circuit when the message came through that President Roosevelt had died.

When V-E Day came, it was just like Mardi Gras, even though there was no Mardi Gras held in New Orleans during the war. Cocking got off work and it was crazy. Two guys helped her get through the crowd to her home. They wanted her to come back out and celebrate with them, but Cocking told them she had to go get her roommate. She went in her building and locked the door behind her. She and her roommate stayed in all night.

On Nov. 3, 1945, Cocking was discharged at Great Lakes. Afterwards, she went to Milwaukee with a girl for few days then went home to Erie, Ill.