Cathy Schaughency Interview

A World War II era quonset hut on Adak Island, Alaska

Wikipedia Commons/David Swarthout

Cathy Schaughency, a native of Pittsburgh, met her future husband, Paul W. Schaughency, while attending the University of Pittsburgh. She was a Journalism major before the two were married in January of 1944. Paul, a young officer in the 265th Coast Artillery, a Florida National Guard unit, was shipped out less than a week after they said, "I do." Cathy opted to leave school at the end of the semester and found work with the United Engineering and Foundry Company, where she worked with representatives from the Soviet Purchasing Commission.

After the war was over, Paul still had time left in the service and the military was allowing officers' spouses the opportunity to join their husbands on Adak. Cathy jumped at the chance and spent nearly a year, with Paul, living in a Quonset hut.

Download a copy of the interview transcript (PDF 382 KB).

• Interview with Cathy Schaughency

  
  

  From June 22, 2016

  Date created:

  10/14/2020