Doris Crews was born in Crews, AL in 1907. The town was named after her grandfather. She traveled to St. Louis for an American Legion convention in 1935, meeting Mr. Thornquist, a delegate. The courtship was followed by marriage on June 18, 1936. The couple resided in Kansas, where Mr. Thornquist worked for the Missouri pacific. When asked why she joined the service, Thornquist stated: 1) it was our war and 2) the government needed women in the service. She wrote letter to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt and Mrs. Hobby asking what she might do. They asked her to get as many women as possible to write the officials in Washington urging for a woman's organization. After discussion with her husband, Mrs. Thornquist joined the WAAC. She was one of the first to enlist in June of 1942. Thornquist entered the the service in September, 1942. She trained in Des Moines for 13 months, as part of a military police school. In January of 1943 she was promoted to corporal. Thornquist went to Canada with a military detachment during a Roosevelt and Churchill conference. While there she heard the French General Renault speak. Thornquist was stationed in Camp Lee, VA and later in Sydney, Brisbane, and Townville Australia. Next her unit went to New Guinea and was part of the Hollandia battle. Other service places included Leyte, and Manilla. While in Hollandia she was promoted to Sergeant and Staff Sergeant while in Manilla. During her service she did a lot of flying. Thornquist returned home to her husband in 1945. Courtesy of the Dickinson County Heritage Center and Museum.