|
||||||
Living History Group - Judith Gray
|
|
 Judith Gray |
|
I have worked in pharmacy since 1996 and am a dispensing technician for a large pharmacy chain. I started collecting militaria in 1994 - blame that on my other half Mark because one day he decided to come home with an army Land Rover after selling his nice shiny black American classic car! I must admit I rather liked it and the fun we had going to military shows with it changed our lives. It was at one of these shows that I met Simon, Nina and Bradley. Mark became very interested in the Vietnam era which eventually resulted in him buying a U.S. Army truck. My initial reaction was ‘Oh no, look at the size of this thing, what on earth will the neighbours say!’ We began to create living history displays and started off our own group and, as the numbers grew I got more and more interested in the women’s activities such as nursing and the Red Cross Volunteers or, as they were more commonly known, Donut Dollies. We eventually had to sell the vehicles but the group continued and so did I, still enjoying it just as much. When Simon asked us to attend a small event at Lytham Hall I thought our eccentricity was mild in comparison to someone owning a Huey, this was something beyond what I thought was possible. Needless to say I have enjoyed being with the Huey crew and helping out here and there, especially with the shop. I still like to wear my uniforms and keep the memory alive of those young women who volunteered to go out to Vietnam. It's so nice when a veteran comes up to tell me a story of when he met a nurse or Donut Dollie, they always seem to have happy memories of them and great respect. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to fly in the Huey and know what it feels like now, so I have something in common with the Veterans and something to boast about to friends! Ambitions: |
