Military Moms Breastfeeding in Uniform Stir Controversy

[kickysnana]

148. Beautiful! In 1973 pregnant women were discharged or were sent for an abortion.

In Ft McCoy basic they were sent all the way to Walter Reed. They had counselors to talk women into abortions but the Walter Reed folks were much less compassionate. I was afraid for the one out of two women who made that choice in our unit. Another three chose to leave and have their babies.

One woman from very rural WV had been raped by her boyfriend days before she came in the Army and then he refused to acknowledge the pregnancy and her folks forbid her from coming home. Nobody at home wanted her to go into the military but she wanted something in life other than what was available where she lived. She did however choose to have the baby. One of the few decent things that happened in the WAACs while I was there was the asst officer in the unit called and made arrangements for the Red Cross to help her with relocating to a larger city in her home state and they were going to help her get a place to stay and a job and then help her with signing up for benefits for the delivery and time after birth. Aside: She spoke with a very iodiomzed dialect that sounded like British English but the phrasing was like old novels. When she got there nobody and I mean nobody but me could understand what she was saying. I translated so I was privy to a lot of behind the scenes things normal recruits never saw. That baby had an exceptional Mother and I have no doubt she made her way in this world just fine.