True Lewis: Veteran. Women shouldn’t be in the military. Artwork

Daughter Dialogues

Listen to real-life stories from women with African American lineage who honor their ancestors' fight to achieve independence for the United States of America and are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The host, Reisha Raney, a black leader in the DAR and a direct descendant of President Thomas Jefferson's grandfather, is conducting independent research as a Harvard University non-resident fellow, under the direction of Henry Louis Gates, Jr, host of the PBS Special "Finding Your Roots", exploring the lives of DAR members of color and their ancestry which includes men and women of American Indian, black or African descent, and white or European descent who contributed to the founding of the USA. Who are these descendants? What challenges did they overcome researching their genealogy? Visit DaughterDialogues.com to subscribe to the newsletter and meet more members of color. Follow us @DaughterDialogs on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. This is not an official podcast of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). This podcast is independent and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the NSDAR. The President General is the official spokesperson of NSDAR.

All Episodes

Daughter Dialogues

True Lewis: Veteran. Women shouldn’t be in the military.

April 08, 2021 • Reisha Raney and True Lewis Gee • Season 2 • Episode 30

0:00 | 58:10

True talks about her family legacy of four generations of firstborns, with her being the first woman, serving in the U.S. Armed Forces; joining the U.S. Army despite her “mom” (grandmother) and birth father feeling that women should not be in the military but with the support of her "dad" (grandfather), the ultimate decision maker; becoming a food service specialist like her birth father; serving for seven years in Korea and Egypt until her military career was cut short because of a rare autoimmune disorder; being in the National Organization of Rare Disorders and near death in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three months; wanting to learn more about her ancestry due to her illness; attempting to join the Daughters of the American Revolution in Kentucky but chapter members using a brown box with white and black balls for a secret vote to accept or deny her, being “accepted” but members non-responsive thereafter; not feeling connected to her white Revolutionary War patriot "Yohan" Nicholas Barrick but instead, the documentation of her black ancestors speaking to her; eventually feeling connected through her patriot's service, reinforcing her service as a soldier in the Army, and their both being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice; and feeling overwhelmed that her white patriot is receiving recognition through her research as a woman of color. She shares oral history about growing up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, born the day before Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, to a young white mother of German descent from four generations who lived in PA back to her Revolutionary War patriot, and to a black father from Florida, an Army Vietnam veteran who retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, when interracial relationships were not accepted; being legally adopted by her black paternal grandparents from Alabama, unsure if her maternal grandfather was aware she had a black father; her adoptive grandparents’ four children feeling like siblings instead of aunts and uncles, her father feeling like a big brother; having a child as a teenager with a mixed race high school sweetheart; attending community college to study pre-med; divorcing in her early twenties with two children and losing her job with the Pennsylvania State Lottery; her grandfather serving in WWII Normandy, her son serving in Iraq and Afghanistan; settling in Fort Knox, KY; co-hosting an online genealogy show; watching Roots with her grandparents who talked about their enslaved grandparents including enslaved paternal great-great-grandfather Ike who had three wives and 23 children; her mother not knowing her family history, taking a full mitochondrial DNA test which led to her Revolutionary War Patriot who served as a private in the militia in PA; discovering her patriot's service from his pension record; always being told that she came from nothing because she was black but then discovering her patriot ancestry, feeling disbelief that she qualified for DAR; being on a genealogy show which turned into a program with two white DAR members helping prepare her application; feeling confirmation, disbelief, anger, and pride when learning of her patriot; exercising her birthright to join DAR, standing in proxy for future grandchildren; joining a PA chapter with her mom since she was not embraced by two KY chapters; during the DAR national convention in Washington D.C., randomly ending up in a taxi full of KY Daughters who convinced her to join their chapter then feeling right at home; serving on the Volunteer Information Specialist committee; "I am the definition of America"; DAR means having a sisterhood; "DAR is doing what they say they are going to do to not discriminate against race, creed or color".

Read True's biography at www.daughterdialogues.com/daughters

Subscribe to the newsletter at www.daughterdialogues.com

Listen to more Daughter Dialogues episodes and subscribe to the newsletter at DaughterDialogues.com.

Follow and share Daughter Dialogues at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaughterDialogs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daughterdialogs/

X: https://x.com/DaughterDialogs

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgUqgtIRJmnLbd5FrMqwp9g

Raised in Harrisburg, PA, legally adopted by her black grandparents; born to a young white mother of German descent from four generations who lived in PA back to patriot; black father from FL; interracial relationships not accepted

Adoptive black paternal grandparents from Midway Alabama; grandfather "dad" in WWII Normandy; grandmother taking care of foster children; grandparents' four children feeling like siblings instead if aunts and uncles; father feeling like a big brother

Growing up as one of few first black families in a white community; raised as black; in softball and color guard; plane crash in neighborhood killing mother's friend who was home, parts in schoolyard; evacuating for Three Mile Island nuclear plant scare

Having a child as a teenager with a mixed race high school sweetheart; son in military fighting in two wars; attending community college, studying pre med

Divorcing in early twenties with two children and losing job with Pennsylvania State Lottery; "dad" (grandfather) supportive but mom (grandmother) and father feeling that women shouldn't be in military; four generations of first borns in military

Military career cut short because of rare auto immune disorder; in National Organization of Rare Disorders; being in Walter Reed hospital for 3 months

Settling in Fort Knox, KY, where husband retired from military ; being a blue star mom from son's service in U.S. Armed Forces

Co-hosting an online genealogy show; enjoying reading historical romances and traveling; grandparents from Greatest Generation talking about their enslaved grandparents; watching Roots, realizing that she needed to remember grandparents' stories

Wanting to learn more about ancestry due to illness; grandfather talking about how his grandfather Ike was enslaved with 3 wives, 23 kids; mother not knowing her family history, full mitochondrial DNA test leading to patriot

Discovering patriot's service from his pension record; always being told that came from nothing because black but then discovering patriot ancestry; feeling disbelief learning would qualify for DAR

Revolutionary War Patriot "Yohan" Nicholas Barrick serving as a private in militia in PA

Trying to feel connected to white patriot; documentation of black ancestors speaking to her

Patriot's service reinforcing her service as a soldier in Army, connected through both willing to make the ultimate sacrifice; feeling overwhelmed that her white patriot is receiving recognition through her research as a woman of color

White girlfriend suggesting she can apply to DAR; going another girlfriend's genealogy show which turned into a program with two white DAR members helping her prepare DAR documents

In disbelief about eligibility to join DAR; feeling confirmation, disbelief, anger, and pride learning of patriot; being told that only come from lowly slaves; birthright to join DAR, joining to stand in proxy for future grandchildren

Taking a 6 month reprieve from DAR application due to frustration with documentation; chapter members using a brown box with white and black balls for a secret vote to accept or deny her; accepted but members non-responsive; joining a PA chapter with mom

During DAR national convention in Washington D.C., randomly ending up in a taxi full of KY Daughters including the KY state chaplain who convinced her to join their chapter and feeling right at home

Serving as co-chair for PA state and chapter chairman Volunteer Information Specialist; awarded VIS of year by state; becoming involved not wanting to wait to be told what to do and was familiar with the work

Being a DAR member a part of her life's testament, "I am the definition of America"; having a sisterhood; "DAR is doing what they say they are going to do to not discriminate against race, creed or color"