#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Anna Marie Hulick

Veteran of the Day graphic by Emma Catlett

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Anna Marie Hulick. Anna served during World War II from 1943 to 1945.

Anna was working for the federal government in Nebraska when World War II broke out and all the men in her small town started leaving to fight. She decided to join the military as well, as part of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps, which later became the Women’s Army Corps. When Anna was inducted, she purposefully failed the secretary test because she did not want to be a secretary, but she ended up becoming one anyway. She attended basic training at Fort Des Moines and then became a secretary in Monticello, Arkansas. The base at Monticello had previously been an unused Japanese prisoner of war camp that was later turned into a basic training camp for women. Anna worked in the transportation department there until she was transferred to Fort Leonard Wood.

At Fort Leonard Wood, Anna became the personal secretary of a colonel and then later a general. She got along very well with the general and liked to work for him, but it was her ambition to go overseas. Before the general retired, he released Anna and helped her transfer overseas. She went to Brisbane where she was assigned to general headquarters, where she worked in proximity to General Douglas MacArthur. She was still a secretary and she moved around the islands in the Pacific as MacArthur moved around. Anna worked with Australian women who taught her how to knit. People in the headquarters also liked to play pranks on each other, and one time, Anna tried to get up out of her chair only to realize that someone had tied her to it. The war ended when Anna was in Manila and she was discharged soon after. When she returned home she moved to New Jersey and worked as a secretary on Wall Street for 30 years. Anna passed away in 2010. More of her story can be found at http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.05365/.

We honor her service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Graphic by Emma Catlett

Emma is a sophomore at Baylor University and is studying Political Science with a French minor and Pre-Law concentration.