Patricia Jennings

Patricia Proskovec Jennings, enlisted three days after her 22nd birthday. She wanted to enlist a year earlier but her mother would not let her. When Mom came back for her first home visit, her mother was surprised by how much she had matured and told her she wished she had let her go earlier. Mom picked the Navy because she had seen the 1928 movie “Annapolis” about the Naval Academy, and she wished there were something like that for women. She also liked the WAVES uniforms better than the WACs’! Mom was stationed in Washington, DC and one of her fond memories during that time was that she got to see Frank Sinatra perform in New York City. After the war, Mom met our dad in Danceland in 1951 and he told her everything about himself at that very first meeting! They both loved to dance. They married in June 1952 and had four children and six grandchildren together. Mom managed the household and still managed to be an avid reader. Mom was extremely proud of her service with the Navy and was excited when she had the chance to share some of her WAVE experiences for an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 2001. She is registered at the Military Women’s Memorial located at the ceremonial entrance to the Arlington National Cemetery. She loved to be with her family and laugh with all of us telling funny stories. We miss her dearly.