I have always admired the kindness, free spirit and love of my grandmother, the late Karin Virgina Oatman. Fondly known as Ginny, she lived a life filled to the brim with devotion to the Navy during World War II, in addition to having a constant attitude of joy.

When she died on Aug. 6, 2009, my family attended her funeral, which led me to further appreciate her contributions to the lives of everyone around her. People I met had endless kind words about my grandmother, especially her deep love for my grandfather and former prisoner of war in Japan, Earl Oatman.

Upon this sobering occasion, my mother and grandfather came across a collection of letters my grandma had sent home during her time in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in 1945. Serving as a link trainer for pilots, she instructed men to fly planes for the war.

Having known of her work, this in-depth discovery intrigued me. As I was unable to read her handwriting, my mom read the letters to me, from which I came to know a whole new side of the wonderful Karin Virgina Oatman.

At the fresh age of 23, my grandma was stationed in Memphis, TN, to prepare men to serve as pilots in WWII. Since she proved highly proficient in math, she received a prime job in the WAVES.

Hearing her words, I was struck by the varying aspects of life serving in WWII. While she took her job seriously and honorably, she expressed great enthusiasm for simple fun with her friends. The letters’ moods varied from triumphs in her flying successes to picnics with friends to pensive observations about the war.

I met an adventurous side of my daring grandma. From her stories of acrobatics in the planes, I never would have assumed her to later fear flying. Besides the occasional air sickness, she enjoyed the spirals and flips high up above the ground. In one letter, my grandma told about a fair she attended. Apparently the rollercoasters were nothing after spirals in an open-cockpit plane.

In her spare time, my grandma often went into town for movies, went out to dinner with friends and went on many picnics. She seemed quite determined to get a perfect tan! Her hilarious date stories amused me the most out of all the tales. I was able to laugh along with her as though laughing with a friend at the mishaps and hopeless golf outings.

My grandma’s charisma was a blessing to many soldiers and fellow instructors in need of encouragement during the war. This side of her never wore away, as I knew and loved her charm. To know that her positive attitude was put to good use was great comfort to me. Her joy was an aspect which deserved to be spread for everybody to appreciate.

One particularly fascinating letter contained a map of France drawn by a French officer. She met the fighter pilot and told him about her older brother Cliff who was fighting in Germany. The officer drew out a map for her, showing where her brother would be. The drawing captivated me, as it was such a direct link to history.

Another engrossing telegram was one my grandma received from her father on March 29, 1945. In the note, he informed her of Cliff’s status as a captive of the Nazis. Her father learned of his situation through a German broadcast of his capture, which was huge news since he had been missing for some time. Later they discovered his daily task of carrying out dead bodies from a concentration camp.

Once again, the information engaged me. The relevance to our past study in English class of Elie Wiesel’s devastating concentration camp memoir, “Night,” gave me yet another link to history. Hearing a circumstance of how my family was directly connected to historical events gave me a broader appreciation for the topics I studied in English and A.P. U.S. History. Right after reading the complete tragedies of concentration camps in “Night,” the connection was one which took a meaningful place in my life.

Looking through all the letters signed with love, my grandma’s lifetime was presented in a new light. While I was well aware of her many qualities, the letters took me to a new level of appreciation for the sensational woman. She proudly served her country and gladly contributed to the brave soldiers of WWII. Her lovely disposition uplifted everyone in contact with her. She sorely missed home and family, especially during holidays.

Throughout the numerous notes, I saw many similarities to myself in my grandmother. Besides our corresponding appearances, I was able to observe our kindred dispositions, interests, quirks and even manners of speaking. In an indesribable way, seeing my grandmother up close moved me. This brought me a confident and brightened outlook on life.

My grandmother’s shining personality gives me a goal and a role model to live up to. Her undying brillance lives on to illuminate my life and the life of everybody who knew her.

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