By Christine Baldwin

Willia Cooper was born in Kansas City, MO. After graduating from high school, she went to Vocational School where she majored in Power Machines and Dress Making. With the start of World War 2, Willia felt a need to join in and provide her services. She joined the U.S. Navy in 1942 and did her Boot Camp at Great Lakes, IL. Willia had an interest in nursing, so she went to the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, MD for nurses’ training. Next, she was stationed at the Naval Air Station in San Diego, CA. Willia worked in the Pneumonia and Cardiac Ward and was put on a special duty for a very sick patient. Unfortunately, he died and Willia was very upset. So she asked for a transfer and was sent to the delivery room! Here, she helped deliver up to ten babies a day. When the war was over, Willia was released from service.

Willias next job was in banking. She went back to Kansas City, where she worked in the Federal Reserve Auditing Department. After many years, Willia and her husband retired and went to Las Vegas. They bought a motor home and traveled all 48 landlocked states. They moved to AFRH-W in July 2005, one month before Katrina hit. Willia enjoys playing Freecell and has played over 75,600 games on her way to 100,000!