Priscilla ‘Kris’ Artz: Once You Serve, You Keep on Serving

By Kathy Volpi, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interview Volunteer

Growing up in Burlington, Iowa, Kris would read books about flying and after graduating from high school in 1952, knew she wanted to move on from her position at a local grocery. She really thought she could be of service and wanted to be a part of the U.S. Air Force. In 1954, there were Air Force recruiters specifically for women. You had to be 21 to join, even though men only had to be 18. Kris was 19 and needed her mom and dad’s signature. Her mother was reluctant; Kris  was determined and assured her mother that she’d just wait until she was 21 and go ahead anyway. Her mom relented and signed. Kris, along with three other women from the area, took a bus to Des Moines, IA then a train to the edge of Texas. Then they got on a “cattle train” and headed to basic training in San Antonio, TX at Lackland AFB, where all of the WAF’s (Women in theAir Force)  went through basic training.

The first day when the women arrived, the instructors showed the women where the church was on the base. They bunked three to a room and when they’d fall out for reveille, they had seven minutes to get ready, which included not having curlers in your hair and yes, having lipstick on. 

The first week, they were told they were to have a “GI party on Friday. They all were brought together – and it turned out that was code for cleaning the barracks! Being in Texas, the weather changed frequently. Each day, they had to vote on whether or not they wore long coats, or short or long sleeves because everyone had to dress exactly the same. Kris hated polishing shoes, so she’d trade doing the ironing for someone else to polish her shoes.

She hasn’t forgotten lessons from her instructors during that time: “Tact is telling someone to go to hell and enjoy the trip getting there”. And “profanity is the lack of a good vocabulary”.

Eleven weeks later, she and her 54 fellow female classmates celebrated graduation with a flight party – which included leis that five of the women from Hawaii had flown in. Her aptitude test highlighted her capabilities in math, so Kris was headed to Lowry AFB in Denver, CO for technical school to become a statistical specialist, auditing reports from bases around the country. 

Before going to basic training in Texas, Kris had never left Iowa. Now she was completing technical training in Colorado and was off to Strategic Air Command at March Field in Riverside, California. There, as reports came in from around the U.S, she and her fellow specialists audited each one for accuracy and submission to SAC HQ at Offutt AFB in Nebraska. 

After six months, Kris was ready for a change and put in for a transfer to Offutt, which was approved. All reports were consolidated at Offutt and along with civilian employees, the women of the unit would audit and key punch the reports, ensuring they met strict deadlines for submission to the Pentagon. Kris spent the remainder of her three-year enlistment at Offutt.

Even though she’d been in the Air Force for nearly a year prior to transferring to Offutt, Kris hadn’t ever flown in a plane until she was in Nebraska. She and others on the base started an organization called Pi Chi Sigma. Membership required that you were part of the Women’s Air Force (WAF). It was a Protestant organization that organized giving back to the community, working with children and included socialization in addition to studying the bible. Organizing this group is what put Kris on her first airplane. The Air Force flew Kris and several of her fellow WAF’s back to March Field in California to make the organization official and start chapters in other locations around the country.

One of Kris’ most vivid memories was on a weekend off, a large group of the WAFs went to see a movie in town. The theater took their money and then told them they had to sit in the back. One of their group was a black woman from New York. They all left the theater and didn’t return.

Kris’ Air Force career ended in March 1957. Her drive for service to her country and community continued long past that date. For the remainder of her life, Kris would serve in multiple capacities with the local American Legion in whatever town and state she was living in. She served as treasurer, was part of the honor guard and an active member of each post. She continued her work through her church, contributing in various capacities including singing in the choir and as a Sunday school teacher. 

And she will always treasure the life-long friendships from her years serving the United States Air Force – relationships that have continued for more than 60 years.

Enjoy your day of honor and Thank You for your service Kris