"If you were ever seen reading a Russian magazine, you would have been reported." (Video Interview, Part 1, 8:48)

Judy Reed Russell

Judy Reed Russell [2004] War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Air Force Unit: Department of Cryptography Service Location: Vietnam; San Antonio, Texas Rank: Sergeant Place of Birth: Harriman, TN

When Judy Reed enlisted in the Air Force, her motivation was noble (to serve her country's effort in Vietnam) and her ambition modest (to finance her college education). What she didn't count on was qualifying for duty in a cryptology unit. Though she never left the U.S., she was well aware of the tension and pressure of working in a high-security environment. With the help of the G.I. Bill, she fulfilled her lifelong ambition to become a nurse, and she has continued to do volunteer work at a veterans' clinic.