Here is an article written about Hellen when she was preparing to turn 105 year old.

Friday, March 4, 2022

105-year-old Navy veteran recalls World War II, life in the WAVES:

“We were a patriotic generation.”

By Kirsten Clark

Indianapolis — Hellen Eloise Holder Guthrie was a 24-year-old working as a secretary at a law firm when a pair of Navy recruiters shared just how exciting a life as a sailor could be. So, in August 1943 the Spencer, Ind., native joined the W.A.V.E.S (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) of the U.S. Navy.

More than 100,000 women would answer the call to be a WAVE, marking the first time women were permitted to join in capacities other than nursing.

“The Navy sounded interesting,” she said. “My brother was in the Army, and he worked alongside General Patton, even.”

Guthrie was assigned to Hunter College in the Bronx to get acquainted with the Navy and learn what her next role would be. When she completed her time at Hunter, Guthrie moved on to yeoman school in Stillwater, Okla. It was there she was selected to work in the elite intelligence arm of the U.S. Navy.

“I went to the first training course at Hunter College, then went to yeoman school,” said Guthrie. “There were nearly 400 students who began, and they only took the top 40 students to work in codes and cyphers.”

Petty Officer 1^st Class Holder became a Specialist Q and headed to Washington, D.C. where she would remain, working as a cryptographer in the Japanese section until the end of the war.

“The Navy is a wonderful place to be and to get an education,” Guthrie said. “We learned the war had ended when they came in and told us ‘Germany had surrendered’! So, we went down to Dupont Circle and had a Coke to celebrate. We were a patriotic generation.”

Not only was Guthrie part of the first class to enter the Navy’s program at Hunter College, but she was also part of the first group of occupants to enter the newly-built Naval Barracks in Washington, D.C.

“We lived in the first WAVE living quarters ever built for the Navy, but they encouraged you to move after you made the rank of 2^nd class because the barracks weren’t big enough to house all the new people coming in,” she said. “We were allowed to go find our own place to rent, but we still ate our meals in the mess hall.”

Guthrie rubbed shoulders with some famous people during her time in the Navy, from first ladies to movie stars.

“If you went to dinner and fried chicken was on the menu then you knew Eleanor Roosevelt was having a meal there,” said Guthrie. “I saw her many times there; she even would sit down right beside you and eat.

“D.C. was a wonderful place when I was there. I even met Robert Taylor – he was a lieutenant in the Navy.”

When the war ended, Guthrie returned to Spencer where she lived with her maternal grandparents. Her brother returned as well, bringing a friend with him who would later become Guthrie’s husband of 62 years.

“Ralph was covered in dirt from a motorcycle ride the first time I met him,” Guthrie said. “He didn’t know how to pick green beans from the garden for dinner, which I thought was funny. He was pretty endearing and very charming – a good, good man.”

Ralph Guthrie served as a mess sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, he worked as a baker in Irvington, Ind. The two had a son, Gene, and later lived in Indianapolis. Guthrie was 91 when he passed away in 2009.

When Gene entered high school, Guthrie went to work at the Indiana Statehouse, serving in various roles in politics for many years. She met Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, was host to Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush, and was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash in 1983 for outstanding service to the state by then-Governor Robert Orr.

At a Spencer High School reunion in 2012, Guthrie was the last living graduate from her high school class of 28 students. On April 30, she will celebrate 105 trips around the sun.

“I never thought I’d live this long,” she said. “There really is no secret to it, but I’ve lived an interesting life. My time in the Navy was an experience that you never forget, and it was something that I was very happy that I did, particularly because of the people you get to meet and the opportunities. It was wonderful.”

Jose and a coworker were recognized for an “amazing scene time” (3 minutes to be exact) and successfully got the patient to a trauma center quickly enough for a Thoracotomy to be done in the ER. Thank you so much for what you do to serve members of our community.

In January of this year, Bartholomew County Emergency Operations rolled out an awards program to recognize our dispatchers for the hard work they put in day after day.

This awards program includes pins that can be worn or displayed and covers a multitude of aspects including training milestones, years of service, and performance-based recognition.

On July 16th, 2024 three of our dispatchers received awards for a job well done.

Congratulations to Hannah, Nathan, and Janel for representing Bartholomew County and the 911 profession.

The Westfield Police Department is proud to announce that the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force selected Detective Tyler Mitchell of the Westfield Police Department to be awarded the prestigious 2023 ICAC Investigator of the Year award. Detective Mitchell was nominated by Fishers Police Department Lieutenant Doug Baker, whose department oversees the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force (HCMCETF).

This award was presented at the First Annual Indiana ICAC Awards and Recognition Ceremony, introduced during the December 2023 meeting. The ceremony honors exceptional efforts in combating internet crimes against children within the state of Indiana. Only Indiana ICAC Affiliates are eligible to receive these awards, and there are currently 92 affiliates.

The selection process was highly competitive, with multiple nominations received for the ICAC Investigator of the Year award. Each case represented exemplary investigative work conducted by some of the state’s finest ICAC detectives. The awards committee, consisting of members of ISP ICAC, retired and current members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), and a retired ICAC commander, thoroughly reviewed each nomination.

Detective Tyler Mitchell stood out for his dedication, skill, and the impactful outcomes of his investigations. His exceptional work within the HCMCETF, a member task force of the Indiana ICAC, has significantly contributed to the protection of children and the apprehension of offenders.

We are incredibly proud that Detective Mitchell was recognized for his outstanding contributions and unwavering commitment to the safety of our children. His work exemplifies the highest standards of law enforcement and child protection. We extend our gratitude to all the nominees and their continued efforts to safeguard children from online exploitation. We want to give special thanks to the Fishers Police Department and the Indiana State Police for all the work they do with ICAC, and for helping to honor Detective Mitchell with this award.

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐂 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞

The Indiana ICAC Task Force is a collaborative effort of law enforcement agencies across the state dedicated to investigating, prosecuting, and preventing internet crimes against children. Through training, support, and coordination, the task force works tirelessly to protect children from online predators and bring offenders to justice.

Article by Westfield Police Department

On September 26, our very own Post Services Officer, Kris Bertrand-Glomski, was selected by Congressman Andre Carson’s office as the August Woman’s Hero Award recipient!

Left to Right: Kris Bertrand-Glomski, Post 360 Service Officer & Heather Harvey, Veterans Caseworker for Congressman Andre Carson’s Office

https://today.iu.edu/live/news/5054-office-for-veterans-and-military-personnel

By IU Indianapolis Today

August 29, 2024

Tyler Cason has been named director of the IU Indianapolis Office for Veterans and Military Personnel in the Division of Enrollment Management, after serving as interim director for several months.

Cason served in the U.S. Army for six years, which included combat tours to Afghanistan and Iraq. He has worked in the Office for Veterans and Military Personnel in various roles since 2018, when he joined as a work-study student, and has a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.

The office is a centralized place designed for military-connected students to find comprehensive resources. As director, Cason is responsible for ensuring the office maintains compliance with federal, state and institutional regulations.

Supporting students is also a top priority. Cason knows first-hand the uncertainty that military-connected students can feel when applying to and enrolling in college.

“Originally, I didn’t know where to go,” he said. “I knew I had a GI Bill. I knew that existed, but I didn’t know much about how to use it and what to do. When I applied for admission, it was recommended to me that I connect with the Office for Veterans and Military Personnel.”

The office helped Cason bridge the gap between what he didn’t know and resources available to him as a veteran. As the office’s director, one of his goals is to bridge that gap as early as possible.

“A lot of students come to our office stressed about, not only their classes, but their military-related benefits,” he said. “Our office is here to make things as simple for them as possible, so that they can focus on succeeding in the classroom. Reaching students before they’re even students can help in that process.”

The return of the Warrior Transition seminar in the 2025-26 academic year, a program similar to the campus’s Bridge Week for first-year students, is one initiative that aims to provide support early and often.

“The Warrior Transition seminar is a way to provide participating students with an opportunity to refresh on English, math and other things that maybe a traditional student has been doing for the past number of years consistently, that our students tend to have not done for 10 or 20 years,” he said.

Cason also wants to highlight and expand the office’s community engagement efforts, which now include a year-round Toys for Tots donation drive.

“Continuing to reach out and support people in the community is foundational to who I am as a veteran, and the veterans we represent,” he said. “Through those donations, we’re able to provide underprivileged and underserved children with some really awesome gifts. We would love to see campus participation grow.”

Donations can be dropped off anytime during business hours at the Office for Veterans and Military Personnel, located in Suite 268 in the Campus Center. Donors can also contact Cason at tscason@iu.edu to arrange for items to be picked up.

Students can get involved in the community, on campus and beyond through the student veteran organization.

“I didn’t learn nearly as much from being a bystander as I did from being an active participant,” Cason said. “The student veteran organization gave me the opportunity to be part of the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board. I got to attend legislative meetings at the Statehouse. There are a lot of opportunities to get involved. Don’t be afraid to knock on doors and ask questions.”

When it comes to supporting students, Cason encourages faculty and staff to be active listeners and willing to meet people where they are.

“It’s also helpful to be educated about stereotypes and presumptions,” he said. “Military service is so different for every person. Some people experience a lot of trauma. A lot of folks go through things that they carry with them for the rest of their lives, and they carry it with them into their schooling, unfortunately. I know I did. We are going to bring some of that understanding to our campus partners when we begin offering Green Zone Training in the near future.”

Current and prospective military-connected students can contact the IU Indianapolis Office for Veterans and Military Personnel at gibenefi@iu.edu or 317-278-9163. The office also supports IU Columbus , military@iu.edu, and IU Fort Wayne, fwmil@iu.edu.

Left to Right: Post 360 Commander Christina Owens and Post 360 member Joe Hayes

University Veterans Post 360 wants to honor our members that have been a member of the American Legion for a 10 year or more. We have presented several certificates in the past and currently have several to present. If you are a 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35 year member of the American Legion and currently a post member of University Veterans Post 360 come to our September meeting to get your certificate. Please email CliffMorlanPost360@gmail.com if you will be coming to the meeting to receive your certificate.

Left to Right: SGT J Lawrence, Post 360 Commander Christina Owens and Post 360 Adjutant Cliff Morlan.

SGT Lawrence, an IU Indianapolis Police Officer was nominated for the the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for the American Legion by Post 360. SGT Lawrence was presented a Certificate of Commendation from Post 360 for his service to our community.

University Veterans Post 360

https://www.indianalegion.org/so/tr/49083700-9e5a-4068-b560-6e2abb2a6702/c?w=ixeYGpRkV3g6U1M88jyu7qoA%2FEzoADbCt2gGk7MvLAU.eyJ1IjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kaWFuYWxlZ2lvbi5vcmcvcG9zdC91bml2ZXJzaXR5LXBvc3QtMzYwLWF0LWl1cHVpLWEtbW9kZXJuLWFwcHJvYWNoLXRvLXZldGVyYW5zLWNvbW11bml0eS1lbmdhZ2VtZW50P3Bvc3RJZD1kY2JhOTIxNy0yNGRhLTQ0MTktYjVjMi0yN2M4ZTc2NjZjOGEiLCJyIjoiNDM5MTIxYWItODY1Mi00MGYwLTg0ZjItYmQ0NjFlMDAwMzA3IiwiYyI6IjQwOTQ0MWI3LTE0MWItNGE1Ny05NTEzLWQ0ZjEzOGQzNDBkZSIsIm0iOiJtYWlsIn0

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