Oral history interview of Mary L. Clements

In this interview, Mary Clements recalls her experiences serving in the United States Army before and during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. She describes her growing up years in rural Georgia, the daughter of a Vietnam veteran who felt that military service was not appropriate for women. She was active in athletics throughout her public schooling and recalls that all her schools were segregated until high school. She attended college part-time until joining the Army after a friend encouraged her to consider military service for the education benefits she could earn. She hoped to serve as an Army mechanic, but was told the only fields open to her were finance or personnel so she chose finance. She describes basic training, playing sports in the Army, and the mentors who encouraged her. She remembers her duty station in Germany, comments on German culture and recalls stumbling inadvertently on a segment of the Berlin Wall while on a road trip there. Her unit received orders to Saudi Arabia where they set up the mail room and payroll systems. She remembers getting hundreds of letters from American children intended for the soldiers, but no one answered them so she did. She describes living conditions in Saudi Arabia, her duties there, experiencing bombing attacks, witnessing the Saudi punishing a thief by cutting off his hands, and seeing the destruction left behind after Operation Desert Storm. She recalls being sexually assaulted and how that incident affected her both personally and professionally, particularly since the culprit was never held accountable. She describes her post-military activities, including volunteer work for the Girl Scouts and her work as historian for the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Black Military Women. She reflects on her military service and the pride she has in having served. Color Guard; guidon bearer; autobahn; Berlin Wall; 78th Finance Company; AMEA-Saudi Arabia; 18th Airborne; PSNCO; mail clerk; 101st Finance Company; Article 15; MOPPsuit; scud missiles; atropine; Mary Clements served in the United States Army before and during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.