Naomi Scott was born March 26, 1924, and lived and grew up on a farm in Indiana. In 1944, she and her cousin Donna Baker, who had been wanting to join the service, became Navy WAVES, embarking on the journey of a lifetime. Together they took a long train ride to New York City for basic training at Hunter College.
During her time in New York, she went along with organizations that would take four girls at a time on excursions to Rockefeller Center, up in the arm of the Statue of Liberty, and the large Cathedral. They visited Chinatown, toured the museum, and other places of interest. She was also part of the group of WAVES marching in the movie “Here Come the Waves”.
After basic training, Naomi was sent to California Hall at Arlington Farms, across the street from the Arlington Cemetery in Virginia, while her cousin Donna was sent to Kansas. Naomi’s time in the barracks was interesting; she had one small closet, the bath was down the hall, and there were no doors on the rooms. Her job was to write letters home to the families of soldiers who weren’t coming home from the war. She talked about being able to hear taps playing from where she worked and even though it played often it pulled at her heart every time.
She met her husband Harold at the USO Pepsi Center on 16th street in Washington, D.C., and they were married on September 13, 1945 in the chapel on his base. He had a room in a house off base that they shared with another military couple. When the war was over, Naomi and Harold lived a full life, traveling all fifty states as well as Italy, Holland, Denmark, Iran, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, China, England, Japan, Ireland, Jamaica, and other scenic places around the world. Together they raised six children, and had a total of twelve grandchildren, twenty great-grandchildren, and eleven (and counting) great-great-grandchildren. She was full of life but unfortunately passed away on June 13, 2018. Her mind was very keen and she still talked about and remembered serving her country into her final months.
This remembrance provided by her granddaughter, Da Netra Smith.
Photos of Naomi Scott during World War II:
(Click thumbnails to view full photo in slideshow)
NOTE: Photos on this page are “All Rights Reserved” and may not be copied or used without permission.
