|
The Birth of a Military Spirit
|
|
|
Born in the small town of Hurleyville, New York, Catherine O’Brien grew up on a farm with her mother, father, two brothers and several cousins. Growing up, Cate was exposed to various aspects of military life. Her grandfather was a WWI veteran, and her uncle was a Marine.
|
|
 |
|
|
Reflecting on her childhood, Catherine described herself as the "black sheep’s black sheep…always prone to doing things that were a little bit out of the norm."
|
|
| In accordance with this self-perception, Cate eventually discovered that the typical female lifestyle characterizing her generation was not appealing and began to look toward a new horizon in terms of building a life for herself. | |
| For most women growing up in the 1970s, life had little to offer outside of marriage and possibly a secretarial job. Living with a very strong set of female influences, namely her mother and grandmother, made it nearly impossible for Cate to find satisfaction living a complacent life in the country as a clerical worker. Seeing the world outside of Hurleyville, NY and experiencing elements of life that were out of reach while living in a small town drove Cate toward taking a step in a direction that most women avoided. These influences gave birth to an irresistible desire to travel the road not taken, the road to Fort Jackson, South Carolina to begin basic training for the United States Army. |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
