Frances Smith had not decided if she was going into the Navy or Air Force. With the Navy requiring a person to be a strong swimmer, the Air Force seemed the most logical.

 

So she traveled from her rural home by bus to the recruiting center in Dallas. At the suggestion of her recruiter, she enlisted as a reservist. Within 10 days of enlisting, she was called up for duty where she was assigned as “Property of the United States Government” in August 1970. She was the only female in Dallas called up to duty.

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Females in the military at that time were not issued certain items of clothing like their counterparts. They were given a list of items to bring such as a pair of white tennis shoes for training and one pair of dress pumps including an iron while men in the military were issued all of their clothing including combat boots during basic training.

 

Smith said she was given a “protector”, handpicked by the recruiter, who would travel with her to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Her protector was to be her valet as well. Reaching Lackland, he was relieved of duty at this point when he turned her over to the Training Instructor of W.A.F. (Women's Air Force).

 

There were 100 W.A.F. recruits that landed at the base on a single trip. The women were separated into one room with four beds, a hallway, and one bathroom per hall. Each hall housed 25 women.

Cosmetic giant, Revlon, was chosen by the Air Force to aid women with all make-up issues. Skin tones were matched to cosmetics, they learned how to apply and wear it modestly, but were required to wear lipstick at all times.

 

The first night a recruit was on base, they were required to write home to let parents know they arrived at the base safely. Recruits were not permitted to use any other form of communication including payphones until basic training was completed six weeks later.

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On the first day of formation, each hall had been assigned a Squadron Leader which had been chosen by height qualifications. Standing at 5 foot 9 inches tall, Smith was chosen to command her hall of 25 women.

 

Uniforms were literally tailor-made for the women of W.A.F. Each woman was measured for dress blues. Within 2 days of arriving, uniforms were ready for wearing.

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Everyone was to attend Chapel on the first Sunday upon arriving. There were no exceptions. Airmen had to know where the chapel and chaplain were no matter religious preference.

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Smith stated recruits of the Vietnam era were not given any slack in basic training. Females were expected to qualify in each aspect of boot camp as their male counterparts. The only modification of duties was women recruits were not allowed to serve in combat zones unless she was a Registered Nurse (an Officer.)

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The regimens of military life did not suit many of the women who were recruited at the time of the Vietnam war. Smith said up to 50 percent of the women who landed at Lackland Air Force Base dropped out by day 10. She remarked she was “determined not to quit” for any reason. She was a team player and wanted to remain so while she served her country.

 

By the fifth week of basic training, recruits were allowed to choose their desired field of study. She chose “Medic” first. Unbeknownst to her, her commanders were going to be placing her in another field which they determined she would be best qualified. She later learned her family and friends had been vetted for her new upcoming position as a Communication's Expert at Randolph Air Force Base. She had been given a Top-Secret Security Clearance for the position (which was nearly unheard of at the time) and transferred to Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, N.M.

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She arrived at Holloman in March 1971. Her assignment as switchboard served our country well. She was able to get, receive, and forward critical transmissions to her commander within 3 seconds!

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Once out of basic training, the men reacted to the women in their units with distaste and were vocal about having to work with them side-by-side. Advancements for women at the time were sabotaged by men in power or command. Smith went on to add there were double standards for men and women of the military. Men were awarded and rewarded countless times while women were to take a literal back seat.

 

'Allegedly men serving in the Vietnam war received war ribbons while women have been denied these honors.

 

She was given an honorable discharge due to family medical need in 1971.

 

Smith is honored to have served her country in the brief time she wore her dress blues. The training a W.A.F. received during the six weeks of conditioning (and beyond) prepared her for life's situations on all fronts. She stated by the age of 21, she had gotten “a P.H.D. in how to grow up real quick.” Her home life had somewhat prepared her for the discipline of military life, but it was W.A.F. who groomed her into the person of character she is today.

 

She currently owns and operates 'Fran Smith Healing Lodge' located in Decker's Flea Market in Murphy, NC. She is open for business on Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.