As first reported by the Beacon Free Press, the “Hometown Heroes” banner campaign in Poughkeepsie has honored the first woman to be featured in the series: Helen Murphy. As reported by Kristine Coulter, Helen joined the Women’s Army Corp (WAC) in the U.S. Army in 1942 when she was 20 years old. According to one of Helen’s five daughters, Patricia Maio, Helen “worked for the NY State Army Ordinance Division with an office at IBM. In 1942, she joined the Women’s Army Corps in the US Army. She was an Air WAC.”

As another first, while at Boot Camp, Helen was the first woman to be selected to be in the first contingent of WAC’s to go out west. While stationed in California at the Santa Ana Air Force Base, she was then selected to model the uniforms in Hollywood. According to her daughter, Helen was in a recruiting film starring Eleanor Parker, Faye Emerson, and Nina Foch. She also made recruiting appearances on the radio show “Queen for a Day,” and was on stage with Frank Sinatra.

More of Helen’s story is published in the Beacon Free Press, which you can pick up now. She was honorably discharged at the rank of Staff Sargent in 1945 and worked for the U.S. Veterans Administration in Poughkeepsie until 1947. She married Lt. Warren Murphy, who was from Fishkill, and began life traveling and moving her family every 2 years, which her daughter said was hard on her, yet she loved the service and being a service wife, her daughter Patricia said.

Patricia noted that Helen loved working at the American Legion Post. She eventually ran for Commander of the Arlington American Legion Post 1302, and was the first Female Commander of that Post. “She was very proud of that,” Patricia told the Beacon Free Press. Helen was involved in the Legion until her 90s. Helen died in 2016.

How The Honor Came To Be

Another woman with the Post, Anne Shershin, had the idea to honor Helen in the “Hometown Heroes” banner campaign. “I was aware of the Town of Poughkeepsie’s Hometown Hero banners and noticed that all of the banners hung in the Arlington were of men. I knew Helen Murphy from the American Legion Auxiliary Post 1302,” Anne told the paper.

“I thought it would be lovely for Helen to be remembered with a hometown hero banner. My Auxiliary unit agreed to sponsor the banner. I contacted Helen’s daughter, Patricia Maio, and the Dutchess County Veterans Affairs, and they helped to get Helen’s discharge papers. The American Legion supplied the picture of Helen. We put everything together and submitted the application to the Town of Poughkeepsie. It took a whole community to make the banner happen.”

Read the full story in the November 9th issue of the Beacon Free Press, which dedicated most of its coverage to Veterans on Veterans Day.