Honoring Our Veterans: Miriam Rossetti

Ed. Note: Memorial Day is a time when Americans commemorate the U.S. soldiers who gave their lives in defense of freedom.

A tradition dating back to the Civil War, Memorial Day honors the sacrifices these brave men and women made for a better nation. Perhaps there's no greater way to honor their memory than by reflecting on their service and recognizing those veterans who live among us.

With a sincere sense of gratitude, Patch would like to say "Thank You" to all the brave men and women who answered the call to serve with a special feature titled 'Honoring Our Veterans,' which will run daily at 5 p.m. during the week leading into Memorial Day 2011.

Today, we salute Miriam Rossetti.

Name: Miriam Rossetti

Branch: Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service)

Conflict: World War II

Orders: The oft-overlooked heroes of WWII are the Navy WAVES, who were responsible for keeping the home front affairs of the U.S. Navy going while the men were assigned to ships serving around the globe.

During the war, Rossetti was assigned to the 'Simulated Flight Link Trainer' program in which more than 191,600 cadet pilots in the U.S. Navy learned how to control an aircraft in the same kind of flying conditions they would experience in the clouds during combat.

Reflections: "Back in those days, Jewish girls didn't usually leave home. But since we were at war and my older brother was overseas fighting with General Patton, I figured this could be a chance for me to leave home and serve my country. My parents were against the idea at first, then finally my mother said 'You know what? This is our war and you should go,'  and that was it, I went. I think it's important to serve your country, especially when she needs you."