Scranton native to present ‘A Love Letter to My Sister Soldiers'
SCRANTON — Janice Gavern lives to tell the story of her sister soldiers and to ensure their history will be remembered.
Gavern, a Scranton native and Air Force veteran, will don her uniform Sunday to present a lecture titled 'A Love Letter to My Sister Soldiers' at the Lackawanna Historical Society, sharing the history of women in the military story by story.
Gavern, now of Montrose, said telling those stories has become her life's passion, partly because many have never been told before.
She said that until well into the 1960s, community news about the gathering of female military veterans appeared not under 'veterans' news,' but in the social or women's sections of local newspapers.
One of Gavern's favorite stories is that of World War I Army nurse Gladys Watkins, who worked at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton before joining the service.
Watkins died of the Spanish flu in France, but her friends back in Scranton organized and named an American Legion post in her honor.
Gavern learned of the existence of the all-female post after finding a woman's hat, which would have been worn by a deputy commander in the American Legion.
She tracked down the number on the hat and uncovered the existence of the Gladys Watkins American Legion Post in Scranton.
She then went into newspaper archives and discovered that the post met regularly.
'They were a paper post, so they didn't have a permanent building,' she said. 'But they would meet at different sites.'
At one time, she said, the post had 117 members, veterans of World War I, World War II and the Korean War.
Challenges of service
Gavern enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from Scranton Central High School and spent four years on active duty before joining the Air Force Reserve, serving for another 22 years.
Gavern went from airman basic to technical sergeant, then later received a commission through the Deserving Airmen Commissioning Program.
She became a second lieutenant and aircraft maintenance officer and retired as a captain.
Gavern, who joined the service during the Vietnam era, said that being a member of the military doesn't always come with honor and appreciation.
Instead, she remembers avoiding talking about her service for fear of negative response from those who objected to the war.
Now, she speaks proudly of all veterans and active military members, who have sacrificed to protect and serve the country.
Making great sacrifice
Gavern tells the stories of female veterans who have made great sacrifices and contributions to their country.
On Sunday, she will share the story of Capt. Lacie 'Sonic' Hester, an F-15E instructor weapons systems officer and the first woman in the Air Force to receive the Silver Star — the nation's third-highest award for valor.
Hester received the award for her performance during a drone flight.
Mary Ann Moran-Savakinus, of the Lackawanna Historical Society, said the organization is excited to welcome Gavern back to speak at the Valentine's Day-themed event.
'She's always looking for more people to tell her their stories,' she said. 'She makes it a very engaging program and fun to listen to.'
As a veteran, Gavern has a personal attachment to the women she finds because she truly views them as her 'sisters in service' and feels dedicated to their military history, Moran-Savakinus said.
'Those are the kind of stories we love,' she said. 'Anyone who calls us asking for information about women in the military, we know who to call.'
'A Love Letter to My Sister Soldiers' will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Catlin House, 232 Monroe Ave., and is free to the public.
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