They Said She Couldn't So She Did

Kendra Blevins Ford has assembled the previously untold story of the Navy's first poster girl, a veteran of both world wars, through the recent transcription of long-forgotten audio cassette tapes recorded back in the 1980s. This debut work showcases an interesting parallel of two lives lived nearly a century apart, now coming together to share a unique story of grit and resilience. Filled with familial historical data, this literary treasure takes the reader back to the beginning of the 20th century where a simple California ranch life formed the future courageous woman who yearned to join the Navy during World War I. The story of how she came to the Naval Recruitment Station to enlist- only to be told "No" and asked to pose for a navy poster illustrator instead, is a highlight of this work. Readers will be charmed and inspired by the no-nonsense prose of the woman who was told no, yet found ways to serve mankind both in the military and as a civilian. She experienced "all the feels" of pain, sadness, and disappointment yet found strength and joy from within and lived her life to the fullest.