Betty J Daum

Betty J. Daum

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- The Bronze star ribbon seen here is highly unlikely to be Bettys and, with no record of her earning one, it is believed that this ribbon simply ended up on her uniform somehow throughout the years. The star of the show here is the orange and green ribbon, known as the Navy Achievement Medal. This was awarded to Betty in 1962, making her the first ever female service member to earn the award.

Betty J. Daum was born on May 29, 1918, to Walter and Ruth Daum in Richwood, Ohio. She was the second of six children. Betty graduated from Marysville High School in 1936 and worked for seven years at a dry cleaning firm before enlisting in the United States Navy in 1943. Several of her brothers also served in the armed forces during World War II, with one brother, Gene, graduating from recruit training at Great Lakes, Illinois, earlier in 1948.

Training and Early Service

Betty enlisted in the Navy in November 1943 at Columbus, Ohio, and completed her basic training at Hunter College in New York City. Following this, she attended the six-week Hospital Corps School at Great Lakes, Illinois, where she trained to serve as a Navy hospital corpsman. After completing her training, she was stationed at the U.S. Naval Hospital, Farragut, Idaho, for a year and a half, followed by a year at Fleet Hospital Base 8, Pearl Harbor.

World War II Service

During the war, Betty served as a Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). She was assigned to the U.S.S. Gieger and later the U.S.S. Callen, both transport ships tasked with moving troops, equipment, and supplies across the Atlantic and to the European Theater. On these ships, she completed 21 trips to Germany and 19 to England over a period of 25 months.

While aboard, Betty was responsible for providing medical care to the crews and troops during long transits, which often included crowded conditions, seasickness, minor injuries, and the risk of disease. These ships also carried soldiers recovering from combat injuries, requiring her to handle both routine care and more urgent situations. In addition to her Atlantic crossings, she participated in several Mediterranean tours, Caribbean cruises, and trips to Panama and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ensuring the health and readiness of personnel during extended voyages.

Post-War Career and Achievements

In 1945, after being discharged, she re-enlisted eight months later and reported to San Diego, California. She was assigned to the 11th Naval District Medical Office, serving three years before being transferred to Great Lakes Naval Training Center, where she worked in the statistical department of Naval Medical Research Unit No. 4, compiling and analyzing data on upper respiratory disease experiments.

In 1948, Betty became the first WAVE to transfer from the reserves to the regular Navy at the 11th Naval District. Over the course of her 24-year naval career, she rose to the rank of Chief Hospital Corpsman and, in 1962, became the first woman in United States history to receive the Navy Achievement Award. This award recognized her exceptional work beyond her normal duties at San Diego Naval Hospital.

After retiring from the Navy in 1967, Betty continued her service in a civilian capacity at the San Diego Naval Hospital, where she worked until 1981.

Post Military

Betty Daum, after enjoying a few years of retirement, would pass away on December 2, 1989 in Rio Vista, California, leaving behind her husband, as well as her surviving children and family members.