Pollyanna Neely Oral History
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Oral history interview with Pollyanna Neely
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Primarily documents the life of Pollyanna Neely and her service with the United States Navy. Neely discusses her military training and education at Naval Support Activity Orlando, Florida, and Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. She recalls her first duty station, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, where she encountered racism for the first time. Neely also recalls marrying her husband, Henry, before being stationed to a ship in Rota, Spain, where she was assigned to stand patrol and assisted with security. Neely describes the three years she spent stationed on the USS John F. Kennedy, where she was part of the first group of women to be assigned to ships, the feelings she had about men who believed allowing women on ships would take away from their jobs, and her experiences with sexual harassment and military sexual trauma. Neely discusses her time stationed on the USS Belleau Wood, her time at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and her decision to separate from the U.S. Navy in 2012. Personal topics include receiving a Meritorious Service Medal for her many contributions to the military; going through Chiefs Initiation in order to receive the rank of Chief Petty Officer; and her thoughts on a servicemember's personal family dynamic compared to their military family dynamic. Neely also shares her belief that there is a lesson in everything, you just have to find it.
