54 JOIN THE WAVES -- Pictures above and on the left are 17 of the 54 who passed examinations and were sworn into the WAVES late Thursday. They are among the 75 from the Tri-city area who will depart Aug 11 for Hunter college, New York, to start their training.
In the picture are:
Front row, left to right -- Jean Beckwith, Mary Gertrude McGinn, Margaret Blunt (Moline), Gladys Frederick and Jean Lay.
Second row -- Mary Kelly, Twila Tompkins, Florence Norton, Barbara Smith and Priscilla Otis.
Third row -- Frances Betzel, Doris Van Hecke, Mary Louise Nugent, Deloris Donnelly and Janet Brown.
Source: Quad-City Times, August 6, 1943 (group photo included)
Miss Twila Tompkins of Davenport, formerly of Waterloo, will leave tomorrow for basic training in the hospital corps at the Waves training center at Hunter college, New York, after which she will be assigned to a naval hospital for active duty.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo IA - September 5, 1943 (photo included)
THIS IS THE WEEKLY LETTER TO A BOY IN SERVICE
by John O'Donnell
The Raymond G. Wahlig family, 2046 West Fifth street, is 100 per cent for the navy, and it should be, for it boasts of a sister-brother act in that branch of the service. The feminine angle is supplied by Marguerite, pharmacist mate 3/c, and the masculine angel by Robert, radioman 2/c, who managed to have their leaves so that they could spend them at home, together for the first time in 15 months. The WAVE entered the service last September, spent time at Hunter college, then at the Hospital corps school at San Diego and is now stationed at the Naval hospital in Long Beach, Calif, which will accommodate 2,800 patients. In the barracks with her are two Davenporters, Evelyn Weeks and Twila Tompkins.
Source: Quad-City Times, July 30, 1944
News has been received of the marriage of Miss Twila Tompkins, H.A. 1/c, in the WAVES, and Bernard Zinsli, of the same rank in the navy, which was solemnized in St. Matthews church in Long Beach, Calif., where both are stationed at the naval hospital.
The former is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Tompkins of 817 1/2 West Ninth street, Davenport, and the latter is the son of Mr. and Mrs. B. Zinsli of Sentinel Butte, N.D. Father Shehan, the chaplain, performed the ceremony in the presence of navy personnel from the hospital.
The bride, who is a graduate of the Davenport high school, was employed at the Davenshire, Inc. prior to entering the service in September, 1943.
The bridal couple spent their honeymoon in Hollywood.
Source: The Daily Times, October 21, 1944 (photo included)
