Background
Irene Brion was born on October 26, 1919 in Rochester, New York, United States, into the family of Murray and Ada (Erdly) Brion.
Irene received her education at the University of Colorado, where she received Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and earned Master of Arts in 1953.
Irene Brion was born on October 26, 1919 in Rochester, New York, United States, into the family of Murray and Ada (Erdly) Brion.
Irene received her education at the University of Colorado, where she received Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and earned Master of Arts in 1953.
In 1943, a chance encounter with a military recruiter prompted Brion, then a 23-year-old teacher living in Rochester, to join the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Brion attended the requisite training courses, and then, as a newly minted cryptanalyst, was shipped off to the South Pacific to help decipher Japanese code.
When the war ended, this "lady GI" returned to civilian life and a career in teaching. Brion's memoir of her short time in service "Lady G.I.: A Woman’s War in the South Pacific " no doubt both fascinates and frustrates armchair military historians, especially those interested in the role of women in the armed forces. Rich in anecdote, the work offers the clear-eyed glimpses of military life and procedure that only an eyewitness can provide. The details of how Brion and her fellow cryptanalysts picked holes in Japanese code are stark reminders of the painstaking slog-work that went into this vital task.
Elsewhere, relations between the sexes in the service are related with spirited humor. In one instance, a small plane circles over three sunbathing women and drops two weights that land at the women's feet. The weights are attached to notes requesting dates for the following Sunday. But the plethora of delightful anecdotes rarely venture beyond the incidents themselves, and we're left wondering why Brion, who writes of her disorientation upon returning to civilian life, didn't remain with the army.
She wrote her book "Lady G.I." for her family and friends, without intending to publish it. She felt that her experience as a woman in the military during World War II should be told for future family members who might be interested in knowing about the personal, feminine side of that war.
Irene is an Independent Democrat.
Quotations:
“I write because I love the English language — its words and the challenge of putting together les mots justes. I love telling a story as much as I enjoy instructing people about things that I feel are important to know. I’m also excited and challenged with the research involved. To me, writing is an adventure equal to travel in a foreign country."
“Writing comes easiest to me just as I’m waking up, so I keep pad and pencil handy to write down phrases that I plan to use later in the morning when I have another spurt of energy. I usually eat a late lunch, work about an hour or so, and then quit for the day. I generally begin by jotting down specific incidents on Post-It Notes and putting them on a large board where I can study them, classify them, and finally arrange them in proper sequence. Miscellaneous thoughts and ways of expressing them are put in a separate place for use where needed. I carry a small notebook for items that occur to me when I’m away from my desk."