When Marie West was growing up on a farm in rural Iowa, she never imagined she would one day become part of a groundbreaking movement in the U.S. military.

Marie West of Monument saw her 102nd birthday on Feb. 14, putting another chapter into her life of management, family and U.S. military service. West grew up on a farm in Iowa, but when World War II broke out, like many young Americans, she felt a deep sense of duty to serve.

She answered the call to service in 1943 when she was one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Navy through the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program. The WAVES program was created in 1942 to address personnel shortages during WWII. It allowed women to serve in non-combat roles, including administration, aviation mechanics, intelligence and communications.

Led by Lt. Cmdr. Mildred H. McAfee, WAVES was the first women’s military program to grant full Naval status, providing equal pay and benefits. Freeing men for combat duty, by 1945, more than 86,000 women had served, proving their value in technical and leadership roles.

“Women were enlisting in the WAVES, and then I saw a poster for it,” West said. “My brother was in the Navy, and the WAVES seemed to appeal to me. I was too young, so I had to wait.”

During her time in wait, she worked in a munitions factory to help the cause, she said. However, active service remained calling to her as other women were enlisting.

“I felt I should do what I could to help,” West said.

Soon she completed basic training and spent five months in machinist-mates technical school where she learned all parts of the planes in service. She recalls taking apart training planes, piece-by-piece, identifying each part along the way. Each week, those in the school had to learn a new part of the aircraft and pass tests.

When it came time for deployment, West requested an assignment at Moffett Field in Santa Clara, Calif. Many of her friends were stationed there. Her request was granted, and she soon found herself working with blimps used for coastal patrol and anti-submarine operations.

West and her fellow WAVES, known as “Mechs,” were responsible for maintaining the aircraft, overhauling engines, honing pistons, and repairing generators. They also performed one of the more physically demanding tasks—walking the blimps out of the hangar for takeoff, sometimes covering more than three city blocks while holding onto the ropes. They did everything the men did except combat, she said.

Through the work and efforts of the women serving, the essential roles in aviation and mechanics, aiding the efficiency of military operations, were performed by the WAVES which allowed men to be deployed to front lines.

In addition to her duties, West was active in sports, playing for the Navy’s basketball and softball teams. As a pitcher in softball, she helped lead her team to victory in the 12th Naval District playoffs. This was one of her fondest memories from her time in the service.

Another notable memory of West’s time in service was an unexpected encounter, while working in the mess hall at Moffett Field, with then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Roosevelt was in the chow line like everyone else while West was dishing out food, she said. She remembers the first lady being very tall, taller than all the men, and extremely nice.

West’s military career culminated with her promotion to Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class (AMM2C), which doubled her monthly salary from $48 to $96.

After the Navy, she returned to Iowa and attended business college, making use of the G.I. Bill to pay for tuition and supplies. She later married a fellow Navy veteran and moved to California where she managed inventory for AC Auto Parts for 27 years while also overseeing apartment complexes. In 1991, she relocated to Colorado to be closer to her daughters.

West remained active in honoring fellow veterans. In 2016, she participated in the Honor Flight program, traveling to Washington, D.C., to visit the war memorials. At 101 years old, she embarked on another historic journey in May of last year. As a part of the Greatest Generation Foundation, she was aboard the Queen Mary 2 upon which she and other WWII veterans sailed from New York to England before traveling to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

As one of the few remaining members of the Navy WAVES, West’s contributions helped pave the way for future generations of women in the military. Despite her many accomplishments, she remains humble about her role in history.

Having passed her 102nd birthday, she credits good genes and her upbringing for her longevity.

“Partially, I inherited longevity and being raised on a farm makes you healthy,” West said. “Keeping busy and your outlook on life helps to keep you going. God had more for me to do.”

Treating people with love and kindness is the advice she gives from her exceptional life.

“Have a positive attitude toward life and keep doing God’s work,” she said.