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Hopkinton Women Recognized For Contributing To Military Service

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The Hopkinton Vets Breakfast on 3 August 2018, served another full house of veterans at the Senior Center. Spirited discussions provided insights to military experiences of women from Hopkinton. Tribute was paid by fellow veterans to the more than 2-dozen who are to date posted in the Hopkinton Veterans Photo Gallery, www.hcam.tv/series/veterans/slideshow.shtml .

Many began their military careers during WW II. Perhaps most renown among WW II heroines is Hopkinton's only woman pilot. Rose G. (Crowley) Abbott was an early -- 1943 -- candidate for the WASP program (Women Airforce Service Pilots). Soon after her acceptance Rose shifted her focus to the Ninety-Nines Inc., an international organization of women pilots. Several years and many flying hours were Rose's "99s" calling. It is an organization co-founded by Amelia Airhart in November 1929, and who was the first president, 1931-33.

WW II also birthed the military career of Rita (Heaton) Paradis. Rita was a US Army nurse stationed at Cushing Hospital when it was a part of the VA System. A patient under her care required hundreds of injections for a serious ailment. The success of the therapy was such, that Rita and Al Paradis became husband and wife for more than 50 years.

More nursing stories interested the gathering of veterans. In July 1973, at Bethesda Naval Hospital, Jane (Gillett) Hinckley was a Navy nurse on a team that helped treat President Richard Nixon for viral pneumonia. Kathleen (Reardon) O'Leary shared her story of being a nurse at a Da Nang hospital during combat action of the 1968 Tet Offensive.

Three of Hopkinton's military women are academy alumnae. Catherine Long graduated from the US Naval Academy, and sisters Rebecca and Frances Clark graduated from the US Military Academy. Frances was promoted to major in July. Among the Hopkinton military women, the highest rank is held by Cheryl (Carter) Becker, a retired Army Lt. Colonel.

Discussions ranged widely. The photo shows some of the active participants pointing to images which were downloaded from the Veterans Photo Gallery: L to R, Kathleen O'Leary, USN; Marjorie Touzjian, USMC; and, Joan Phipps, wife of a "whitewater" sailor who served in the waters of South Viet Nam.