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Retired Americus educator Bobbie Balkcom holds a commemorative citation from The Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington Cemetery. The name of Balkcom’s late sister, Ozzie B. Smothers, is on the memorial wall in Washington, D.C. Balkcom had long wanted to see her sister honored for her military service. She subscribed to the memorial and her daughter mailed the bound citation to her, which arrived on Valentine’s Day. During World War II, Smothers enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps. After basic training at Fort Desmoines, Iowa, she underwent extensive field training at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., then went on to Camp Shanks, N.Y., for staging. Pvt. Smothers was assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory as a postal clerk in Birmingham, England. During her service in England, she visited many historic places. Later, after her reassignment to Rouen, France, she visited sites in that country as well. She was later assigned to Paris. Smothers was also a retired educator. Smothers, who died in February 1984, never knew her name would be on a memorial wall one day, but now her family and fellow Americus citizens do. Balkcom said she shed tears of joy when she received the package recently.
Beth Alston / The Americus Times-Recorder