Tag Archives: D.C.

We’re continuing our series looking back at the life of Eileen Horner Blakely, who died December 30th at the age of 96.

After training at Yeoman’s school in Cedar Falls, Eileen was stationed in Washington D.C.

The photo above was taken at Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls where Eileen (and Thorngate ) trained.

“I always say I joined the Navy to see the sea and I saw D.C.” 

She was in the city when President Roosevelt died in 1943 and remembers seeing, through tears, the riderless horse follow the procession down Pennsylvania Avenue (pictured below).

 “I really did at that point realize that I was, you know – small  minute part, but a part of history.”

After training at Yeoman’s school in Cedar Falls, Eileen was stationed in Washington D.C.

The photo above was taken at Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls where Eileen (and Thorngate ) trained.

“I always say I joined the Navy to see the sea and I saw D.C.” 

She was in the city when President Roosevelt died in 1943 and remembers seeing, through tears, the riderless horse follow the procession down Pennsylvania Avenue (pictured below).

 “I really did at that point realize that I was, you know – small  minute part, but a part of history.”