JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One of our favorite veterans is turning 100 next month!
Last year, First Coast News featured Jessie Dunbar as she celebrated her 99th birthday. She served in the United States Navy as a WAVE in the 1940s. WAVE stands for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.
"We were just like the men. Believe it or not. We had to go and stand at attention for an inspection. When that happened, I used to faint because I was in the sun and it bothered me terribly...standing there and waiting for inspection," Jessie Dunbar said.
Mrs. Dunbar repaired aircraft instruments for the fighter planes.
"You had to take them apart and clean them and put them all together again. The gas, oil, and altimeter. It wasn't very easy at all. But, I became very proficient in it. I knew how to do it well. I taught some officers how to do it," Dunbar explained.
If the last name Dunbar sounds familiar to you, Walt Dunbar is her late husband. He was one of the first sports directors for Channel 12 in the 1950s. They met while both serving in the Navy. He passed away in 1986.
Mrs. Dunbar's daughter says she is doing well and is looking forward to celebrating her 100th birthday.