It is not college, it is not school, but you learn a lot about yourself. The military is where Karen Dragon initiated her training in engineering. As a female mechanic in her 20s, she did not want to be dependent her male counterparts, so she learned to independently service vehicles 30 times her size. This photo was taken on Parents Weekend at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. It was the first time she lived away from home, and the first time she would see her parents since enlisting. As time ticked on, she started to worry that her family wasn’t coming. It turned out they were late due to a surfing accident while on vacation in Florida. In the moment her photo was taken, not only was she excited to see her mom and dad, but she was also excited to start her adult life. As an aircraft safety inspector, she carries with her a lot of the same skills today: timekeeping, following orders, being independent. She still remembers the excitement she felt when she smiled for her picture.

Listen to Karen Dragon’s story in her own voice.

This item is part of the Artifacts of Experience exhibition designed by students in the “Introduction to Public History” course in 2023.
We encourage you to explore the other objects in our collection.

Transcript

Kobi Morgan [KM]: Why did you choose this photograph as your object? 

Karen Dragon [KD]: I think it reminds me a lot of… kind of what started my adult life maybe? Being in the Army… And, and this picture, like I remember distinctly, it was going to be parents weekend. And I hadn’t seen them- I hadn’t been away from my mom and dad before, and just how exciting it was going to be to see them again. 

[KM]: When you look at this picture, what does it mean to you? 

[KD]: Um, I think it’s just like, again, that’s kind of like the start of being my own person, not being a kid anymore. Just a different part- a new part of my life. 

[KM]: What other memories does it conjure for you? 

[KD]: Oh, I remember all the people I was in basic training with. And then after that advanced training. Just, just my whole time in the military, I remember all of that. Good friends that you make that you don’t necessarily think about all the time. Skills that you pick up, that to this day, you use. It just kind of freshens everything in your head. 

[KM]: What is your favorite story to tell about this photograph? 

[KD]: Actually, because it was parents weekends, so my mom and dad were coming, and I was super excited. And they were late. And I thought, you know this was before cell phones, so we didn’t have a way to communicate so I was worried that they weren’t coming. And I was getting nervous because it was getting towards like the end of the day, and they still haven’t showed up. And it turned out at… So I was in basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. And my mom and dad has stopped before the weekend and had gone to the beach, and my dad had tried body surfing for the first time. And he broke his collarbone, and that’s why they were late, because he had been in in the emergency room. Because he had broken his collarbone. So that’s like a funny- I mean, it wasn’t funny for him at the time- but now it’s funny to look back at. 

[KM]: In your own words, how would you say this relates to the prompt of educational objects? 

[KD]: The prompt, the prompt of educational objects? 

[KM]: Yeah, like the theme being objects from an educational background. 

[KD]: Okay. I think you learn a lot. I mean, it’s obviously not college. It’s not school. But you learn a lot about yourself. You learn a lot about timekeeping, keeping to rules, obeying orders, stuff that kind of follows you through life. And then also you train in like a future job, like I was light-wheel Vehicle Mechanic. So, I learned anything that was two and a half tons or below in weight, like Humvees or vehicles, how to fix those so that as a female, I wasn’t going to be dependent on anybody else. To fix my cars or whatever, so I mean, it’s very good starting out educationally. Plus, you get money for future education in the military. So, it was just a path I chose to move forward educationally in the military. 

[KM]: Are there any other details you want to share about this photograph? 

[KD]: I don’t think so. I was very young, very just excited about life being out on my own. Meeting a whole different set of people learning a whole new set of things and I think you can kind of see that in my my face, like the excitement.