Description
Ms. Lavallee shares her story about being asked by the adjutant during a church service about going overseas and how she promptly replied, ”Yes!”
Olga Lavallee
Ms. Lavallee was born in 1921 in North Vancouver, British Columbia. From her childhood, she was fascinated with airplanes. At age 21, much to her parents chagrin, Ms. Lavallee joined the Air Force. After training, Ms. Lavallee accepted the opportunity to go overseas and travelled to England onboard the Mauritania. She lived and worked in London in the administration field. During her social time, Ms. Lavallee cared for the many burn victims of East Grinstead hospital in England providing comfort and consolement to the wounded soldiers. After discharge, she returned to Vancouver. Ms. Lavallee holds great pride for her service to Canada and is an active member of the association for Women Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Transcript
At that time a young girl usually stayed home until she was married and she was under the care of her parents. And to go out in the world with all those men and eventually it was alright if I stayed in Canada but not overseas. And I might tell you that when I was on the station in Canada, I had an opportunity to go to a church service with the adjutant and on the way to the church service he asked me if I would like to go overseas. I thought very, very quickly and I said, “Yes!” I wasn’t going to say no to that, there’s an opportunity and I would find a way to tell my parents. Age 20 or so on, 20 or 25, you’re indestructible. Things happen to other people but not to you.