Veterans News

Mom Mulkey and War Brats

"Mom" Mulkey, Past President of Gus Forbes Auxiliary 1927, who though a semi-invalid, wrote letters of encouragement to hundreds of servicemen overseas, beams with happiness as she chats with two of them, Leo Witikka (left) and Oiva Witikka at the barbecue she put on at her home on the Lewis River, at which 250 of her "boys" were guests.

MOTHER TO 335 G.I.'S

Mrs. Purl A. Mulkey, better known as "Mom" topped off her years of constant attention to her brood of war "brats" by gathering them together at her home in the foothills of Mount St. Helens for a big reunion and barbecue.

Mom has long been active in the Ladies Auxiliary of the V. F. W. She is a member of Gus Forbes Auxiliary 1927 at Woodland, Washington, and was president of the Auxiliary from April 1942 until April 1944. "Pop" Mulkey is a retired Navy man and a veteran of the Spanish American War. He is a Past Commander of the Gus Forbes Post.

During the war years Mom wrote letters 20 to 40 every day - to 335 G. I's, who were serving in theaters of operations around the globe. In addition to the letters Mom sent her boys presents on their birthdays, when they were married in short giving them the love and attention of a real mom.

Mom originally got the names of some of the boys sweating it out overseas from the V. F. W., and from there the list grew like Topsy. Each one of her "boys" heard from her once a month at least whether they answered or not.

"They'll never know what they did for me," says Mom. "I'm not very well. These brats are all that have kept me from going insane. I have a kind of philosophy: Keep your hands occupied and you'll keep going.".