Helen Anderson Glass was just 20 years old when she enlisted in the United States Navy. Glass' older brother was killed in action on the USS Savannah after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, and she was wanted to honor his memory by serving her country.
Now, at 92 years old, Glass looked back on her life of service and awards and shared her memories with Tucson.com. She recalled working as a switchboard operator when the calls about the Japanese attacks in Hawaii began to come in and the strength it took to remain level-headed enough to pass information along. After she enlisted, Glass worked her way up to Third Class Aviation Machinist's Mate, which allowed her to work on the combat aircraft.
Even after she left the Navy in 1945, she was still committed to serving. Glass dedicated long hours to the Veterans Administration and other organizations. Her efforts earned her Arizona's Woman Veteran of the Year in 2013, the American Legion Volunteer of the Year, VFW Volunteer of the Year, VA Hospital Volunteer of the Year, Legionnaire of the Year and induction into the Veteran's Hall of Fame in 2002.
You will not catch Glass boasting about all her achievements in her life after service, however.
When Tucson.com asked her how she felt about al the recognition, she simply replied, "I'm no hero."
In her free time over the years, Glass wrote poems about her time in the military and dedicated them to the other servicemembers she knew. Her poetry has also won her awards, but for the Navy veteran the art is more of a way to commemorate the service of her friends and acquaintances. Glass' only regret in life is that she is no longer able to dedicate as much time to volunteerism as she was previously able. However, she told the news source that she planned to continue donating as much time and service as her health would allow.