SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 – In 1957, joining the military was far from the norm for women, but 18-year-old Judy Hodgens was determined to find adventure beyond her small town, especially after the death of her father. Seeking to leave her small town in Western Pennsylvania, she went to the local recruiting station and enlisted in the Air Force through the Women in the Air Force (WAF) program.
“After my dad passed, my mom realized she needed to provide for me and my six sisters and decided to operate the town’s switchboard. When I decided to join the military, I needed my mom to sign the necessary paperwork, and she did,” said Judy.
Though her mother, Myra Hodgens, was supportive, not everyone in Judy’s family was happy with her decision. Two of her brothers-in-law were especially vocal in their disapproval, fearing she would face serious consequences for taking such a bold step. Still, Judy pushed forward.
“I just felt it was something I had to do,” she said. “It was the only way I could see to get out of town and experience something new.”
Judy was part of a pioneering group called the Liberty Bell Flight, made up of women from Pennsylvania, who traveled together to Lackland Air Force Base for basic training.
“It was an experiment to see how women would handle the rigors of military life as a group, and we were the first to go through it,” she said.
On her way to Lackland, Judy encountered a situation that changed her outlook forever.
“There were four of us traveling from Pennsylvania, including a girl named Clara, who was Black. We went to a restaurant, but when we sat down, the server told us we couldn’t be served because of Clara. I had never seen anything like that before. I remember saying, ‘If she doesn’t eat, we don’t eat,’ and we all left together. It opened my eyes to the reality of segregation.”
Basic training at Lackland presented a mix of leadership challenges and personal trials. As an element leader, Judy was responsible for her group, but one night, tragedy almost struck.
“One of the girls in my group tried to take her own life. I found her lying in a pool of blood after cutting her wrists. I ran for help, and the sergeant rushed her to the hospital. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.”
Training was tough. Despite promises that they wouldn’t march during extreme heat, Judy remembers that “even when the red flag flew, we were often out marching. They kept the women separate from the men, but we had one male drill sergeant.”
After training, Judy was assigned to radar operations, a critical job that involved tracking flights on a plotting board.
“I wore a headset and received flight coordinates from radar stations. I had to plot multiple flights at once and write backward so the officers in front of the board could read it. It was nerve-wracking because generals and colonels would be watching us work,” she said.
The schedule was grueling. Judy rotated through two-night shifts, two afternoon shifts, two morning shifts, and then two days off.
“I hated working in radar,” she admitted. “I’d go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. The center was always dimly lit, and I never saw daylight. I asked to switch to the switchboard, but they wouldn’t let me. They said my job was too important.”
Despite the challenges, Judy’s time in the Air Force brought her unexpected happiness when she met her future husband, Chuck, who lived in the barracks behind hers.
“Chuck said we couldn’t get married because we didn’t have enough money—we were only making $78 a month—but just five weeks later, we went ahead and got married anyway,” she laughed.
However, Judy’s military career came to an abrupt end when she found out she was pregnant with their first child.
“Back then, if you got pregnant, you were forced to leave the military. I didn’t want to leave—I loved the Air Force,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘If they would have let me, I would’ve stayed forever.’ But the rules were strict, and there was no way around it.”
She reflected on the difficult decision to leave.
“I was heartbroken when I had to get out. I didn’t want to stop serving. But there were no options for women once they became pregnant. That was the policy—if you were expecting a baby, you were expected to leave.”
Judy was discharged after just a year and ten months of service. Despite her brief time in uniform, she looks back on her Air Force days with pride.
“I may not have been in for long, but I’m proud of my service,” she said. “I learned so much, and it gave me the strength to handle life’s challenges.”
Chuck, on the other hand, stayed in the Air Force for over 20 years, with Judy supporting him through every step of his career.
“At one point, he thought about leaving, but I encouraged him to stick with it. Now, because of his service, we both benefit from the VA’s medical care, and that’s something I’m grateful for.”
Judy and Chuck have been married for 66 years, with two daughters, a son, and many grands and great grands, and a lifetime of memories.
“I wouldn’t change a thing about my life,” Judy said. “The Air Force gave me a sense of purpose, and I’ll always be proud of that.”
Story by 2nd Lt. Paige Bodine
126th Theater Public Affairs Support Element