Joycestane Brant Malcolm Collection
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Oral history interview with Joycestane Brant Malcolm
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Primarily documents Joycestane Brant Malcolm's service in the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) from 1954 to 1957, and her life after the war. Malcolm recalls growing up in Beaufort, South Carolina, near a Marine Corps base; her parents' jobs; her awareness of World War II; discussing current events in high school; and limited job opportunities in South Carolina. " Malcolm chiefly talks about basic training at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and working at the Naval Communications Station in New York City. Topics related to basic training include joining the WAVES on a dare; her relatives' disapproval of her military service; doing very well on preliminary tests; a typical day of classes, marching, and training; living on a base with men; nighttime fire alarms; learning to swim; and communal showers. Topics related to the WAVES and New York City include living at a naval hospital in Queens; her WAVES friends, including Winnie Kuehn; special clearance levels for her work with coded messages; relationships with male and female co-workers; uniform regulations; and her social life, including movies, dances, music, and a noncommissioned officers' club. Malcolm also briefly mentions integration in the navy and being the only African American in her barracks. " Other topics include the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; the Malcolms subsequent retirement; two nieces who had careers in the military; and Malcolm's opinion of women in combat. " Other topics include the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; two nieces who had careers in the military; and Malcolm's opinion of women in combat.
