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Mary Amanda Sabourin Collection

 Collection
Identifier: WV 0100

Content Description

The collection includes an oral history transcript, 25 June 1999; a green and white pinstriped summer uniform, including dress, jacket, white gloves, and garrison cap for Marine Corps Women's Reserve, 1952.

Dates

  • 1952-1999

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical / Historical

Mary Sabourin (1922-2008) of Ogdensburg, New York, served in the Marine Corps Women's Reserves from 1945 to 1946 and in the Women Marines from 1949 until her retirement in 1976.

Mary Sabourin was born on 28 December 1922 in Ogdensburg, New York, and graduated from high school there in 1940. She worked at a drugstore before taking drawing and engineering courses. In 1943, she went to Syracuse, New York, to work in a defense plant as a draftswoman.

In 1945, Sabourin enlisted in the Marines. She attended basic training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and then worked in the post exchange (PX) there from May 1945 to June 1946, when she was discharged. Sabourin attended a year of engineering school at Syracuse University, New York, on the GI Bill in the late 1940s.

In 1949, Sabourin reenlisted in the Marine Corps and was stationed at the Marine Corps Institute in Washington, D.C." where she worked as a drafting instructor in the engineering department. In 1952, she was sent to administration school at Parris Island, South Carolina. From there, Sabourin was transferred to Cherry Point, North Carolina, where she worked in administration with a woman's detachment and male squadron.

In 1955 she returned to Parris Island for recruiter school. Upon completing the program she was sent to Baltimore, Maryland, to do recruiting. Three years later she was again sent to Parris Island, this time as a drill instructor. In 1961 she was transferred to El Toro, California, where she worked in classified files.

Sabourin suffered a seizure in 1963 and was placed on disability. Sabourin returned to active duty in 1967 as a special correspondent at Headquarters Marine Corps in Arlington, Virginia. From 1969 to 1972, she served at the European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, in the Military Assistance Directorate. She returned to the States in 1972 and served at Headquarters Marine Corps as administrator for B Company, an officers company of 1,300 men. In 1975 she was transferred to Camp Lejeune, where she served as sergeant major for B Company.

Sabourin retired from the Marines in 1976. In 1991, Sabourin became involved in veteran's organizations such as Women Marines Association. In 1999 she was Chairman of the National Committee for ROTC and the area director for six states. She was also involved in American Legion, Marine Corps League, and Fleet Reserve Association. Mary Sabourin died in 2008.

Extent

3.21 Linear Feet (1 folder, textile box )

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

  • License: This record is made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

Condition Description

The condition is fair.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed by Matthew McCarthy.

Title
Mary Amanda Sabourin Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Matthew McCarthy
Date
2022 May
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
P.O. Box 26170
320 College Ave.
Greensboro NC 27402-6170 US
336-334-5246