She Liked Opera, They Liked Jazz
A decade older than the boys, Flo became a mother figure
My Mother and Audie Murphy Ch. 21
The soldiers were young — just boys, really — and by the end of that summer of 1944 at the training camp in Pozzuoli, they had become “her” boys. In the relative calm of the camp, Flo had served thousands of troops, gotten to know hundreds, and formed real friendships with many of them.
She and her clubmobile crew made regular visits to the army units, offering coffee, donuts, and a brief escape from the war. The women were allowed to join the men in some of their tasks — driving the amphibious DUKW boats, using the mine sweep, traveling to training areas, watching mock battles. Flo kept photos in her album — snapshots of the women posing with soldiers on tanks, jeeps, and trucks — memories of lighter moments amid the looming darkness.
To the young men, she became a maternal figure. At 30, Flo was a decade or more older than most of the infantrymen who would soon be fighting on the front lines. There was a natural generational divide — she had grown up with opera and classical music; they preferred jazz. She danced the waltz. They wanted to jitterbug.
Still, there was deep mutual respect. She told me often how much she cared for them, how proud she was of them — and how worried she became as the next invasion loomed. She feared many of them wouldn’t come back.
She always emphasized how respectful the soldiers were. Of course, they were under strict military discipline, and they lived with the constant awareness that any day could be their last. That shaped their behavior, certainly — but so did the bond they shared with her.
Photographers unknown but likely 3rd Signal Co.
Ch. 22: https://medium.com/@tradeswomn/goodbye-to-the-boys-bd3e1a5ef5be
