The Christy Collection

Military Stories and Articles

My Golden Valentine By Joann Hellmann

My Golden Valentine By Joann Hellmann

In early 1973, I felt like a real Nowhere Woman: a young twenty-something with a going-nowhere job, a not-ready-for-marriage mindset, and a hankering to go anywhere well west of my little Jersey Shore town. So I decided to boldly go where few women were going then and joined the Navy. Little did I know the Navy would bring me not only a career but the man with whom I'm about to celebrate a 50-year marriage.Our journey began by fluke … or was it fate? Navy Service Romance Began With...

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JOC JoAnn Hellmann, U.S. Navy (1973-1996)

JOC JoAnn Hellmann, U.S. Navy (1973-1996)

What Habit(s), Good Or Not So Good, Did You Pick Up During Your Military Service That You Still Practise To This Day?:

A habit is defined as a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. According to that definition, I d have to say the habit I picked up during my military service that I still practice today? My husband John! I met him during recruit training in Orlando, Florida in 1973 and we married in 1974. I often wonder if we re the only ones that went from boot camp romance to golden wedding anniversary, which we celebrated earlier this year.

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