Most of us have heard our elders say at one time or another how rough they had it as a child. How ‘back in the day’ they had to walk untold miles in terrible conditions just to make it to school. In those days it was difficult just to get a basic education, something we now take for granted. Veteran Arlene Horrell remembers those hard years growing up in the 40’s on a farm in North Dakota. The difficulties she faced led her to joining and serving a three-year term in the United States Army. This ended up being the smartest decision that she could have made for her young life.

Arlene attended grade school in a one-room country schoolhouse and was the only one in her class for eight years. Her parent’s farm, where Arlene said they raised mainly cattle, sheep and kids, was 2 ½ miles. Arlene made the trek to school and back every day, showing great determination even as a child. Once that hurdle was overcome she was faced with another, even greater problem. The high school was in town, well beyond walking distance and there weren’t any buses. But, that didn’t stop Arlene. At the age of fourteen, Arlene had the resolve to get a job in town as a waitress working nights and weekends. She used her earnings to get an apartment and was able to attend and graduate high school.

Having a great zeal to learn, Arlene wanted to continue on and become an x ray tech after graduation. She knew that her options were few and it would be difficult if not impossible. But, after talking to a recruiting officer for the United States Army, Arlene’s future was looking up. The Army not only promised that they would provide her with the education she desired, they delivered. After attending boot camp at Fort McClellan, she was off to San Antonio Texas for medical training. “You had to have basic medical to go any further.” She completed training as a dental technician and was transferred to Fort Benning, Georgia to. During the day she worked as a technician and in the evenings she was a member of a basketball team. “My Sergeant would take me and the other girls to the gym and we would have to run twenty laps around the gym before we started.”

About a year later she reapplied and was trained as an x ray technician. “The program was phenomenal. In sixteen weeks I had the same training as someone who would have attended two years of college.” The education she received gave her the opportunity to pursue what she loved and prepared her for a great future. When she was discharged from the service about 1-½ years later she got a job at Children’s hospital. She went to school for another year and took her boards and passed with the new title of Certified Radiological Technologist. From there she went to California with her husband and took a position at Mendocino County Hospital managing an x ray department. She finally made her way to Saltsburg and settled in.

“The Army has done a lot for me.” It enabled one bright and diligent young woman to press onward to a future that might not otherwise have been possible.