Master Sergeant Pauline Rosella Slattery

On February 7th, 1900, Master Sergeant Pauline Rosella Slattery was born in the incredibly small town of Freeborn, Minnesota. When she was only 9 years old, her mother died and she went to live with her grandparents, moving to Stutsman, North Dakota. Here in North Dakota, Master Sergeant Slattery got a job as a transit clerk in a bank. It was here she married Paul Addison Slattery who she had a daughter with, on June 20th, 1921.

Master Sergeant Slattery then moved across the Midwest, living in Iowa and Minnesota during the 30s. She worked as a saleslady during the Great Depression, one of the most difficult times in our country’s history. As World War 2 broke out in Europe, Master Sergeant Slattery moved to Chicago, where in 1943 she joined the Women’s Army Corps. As a member of the Women’s Army Corps, Master Sergeant Slattery was able to work many different possible jobs such as radio operator, code breaker, mechanic and photographer.

She no doubt used her past skills as a transit clerk to perform these more technical roles. Master Sergeant Slattery quite literally rose through the ranks, becoming a Master Sergeant in only 3 years. She was discharged from her service in 1946. Her daughter, Beverly Anne Slattery also chose to join the United States Nurse Corps in 1944.

Beverly Anne Slattery graduated from St. Francis School of Nursing in 1945. She continued nursing even after she moved to Tampa, where she was a parishioner at Christ the King Catholic Church and a nurse at Tampa General Hospital. Back to Master Sergeant Pauline Slattery, She moved to where her father had lived, right here in Hillsborough county.

She became a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church and she continued her connection to service, becoming a member of American Legion Post 135. Something interesting to note: she also was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, a Freemason adjacent service oriented organization. In these two organizations, it is clear of her commitment to serving others in her community.

After 81 years of life, characterized by service, charity, and an inability to stagnate, Master Sergeant Slattery died on September 1st, 1981. Her life was especially characterized by a quote from the Women’s Army Corps’ first director, Oveta Culp Hobby: “You have a debt and a date – a debt to democracy and a date with destiny.” Master Sergeant Slattery certainly paid her debt through her long life of serving the community.