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Airman Second Class Florence Mabel Linde Dudley

Dudley looks off to the side over her left shoulder with a smile on. Her hair is up and underneath a uniform cap. She is wearing her uniform jacket.
  • Unit: Headquarters Squadron Section, 3415th Air Base Group, Air Training Command
  • Date of Birth: December 27, 1933
  • Entered the Military: October 30, 1953
  • Date of Death: December 26, 2019
  • Hometown: Hartford, Connecticut
  • Place of Death: Zionsville, Indiana
  • Award(s): National Defense Service Medal
  • Cemetery: Col A, Row W1, Site D22. Crown Hill National Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana
Contributed by Eighth Grade United States History Class
Mentored by Mrs. Lori Grant Feliciano
Cold Spring School at Marian University
2024/2025

Early Life

Humble Beginnings

Florence Mabel Linde was born on December 27, 1933, in Hartford, Connecticut, and was the daughter of Frederick and Marion Linde. She had three sisters and two brothers, including her twin, Lawrence. It is unclear what happened, but by the time she was six years old, she and her siblings were all wards of the state of Connecticut. 

As American industry grew, so did poverty and hardship. Families like the Lindes relied on places like the Kinsberg Children’s Home to keep them safely housed during times of financial hardship. At this home, older children completed chores, while children like Mabel would have darned socks. 

Life in Hartford

After earning her G.E.D. in 1953, Linde became a recorder at Hartford SBI Insurance before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force.

A black and white photograph of a three-story house with a wrap-around porch. There is a sign on the front that says “Children’s Home”
The Kinsberg Children’s Home was open in Connecticut from 1903 to 1968. Kinsberg History Museum Brochure.
A stone engraving of a wreath with a buck in the middle. Around the circle it says ‘Incorporated 1810.’
The engraved seal of The Hartford Insurance Company. The Hartford.

Homefront

Thriving Industrial City

In the 1940s and 1950s, Hartford, Connecticut, was a thriving industrial city known for its manufacturing, especially firearms and automotive parts. In 1836, Hartford native Samuel Colt patented the Colt Paterson, the first practical revolver that held multiple bullets. Decades later, in 1873, Colt’s company introduced the Colt .45 Peacemaker, also known as “the gun that won the West.” After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States War Department sought new weapons to aid in the war effort. In 1942, Colt produced the Commando prototype and shipped it out on the first anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. 

Manufacturing for the war effort was a significant part of Connecticut’s economy from World War I through the Vietnam War. In World War II, the U.S. military awarded the Army-Navy “E” Award to the top five percent of U.S. war plants for excellent production supporting the military. This award united earlier Army and Navy awards in existence since 1906. In Connecticut, 175 plants earned this award, far more than any other state.

Population Booms

During World War II, many Connecticut factories suffered from labor shortages. These shortages led to increased numbers of women, African Americans, and Mexican workers joining the workforce. As the state became more diverse, its population increased by 6.5% between 1940 and 1950. This growth also created a need for more subdivisions surrounding major cities like Hartford.  

Homeowners throughout the United States benefited from the New Deal’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Homeownership became more feasible for millions of Americans, and many moved to suburbs on the outskirts of cities. Between 1940 and 1950, large suburban communities grew by more than 22%. More people owned cars and drove into cities for work. Unfortunately, families of color often had difficulty obtaining necessary loans, which deepened racial divides between suburban and urban areas. The White middle and upper classes left cities, which created greater poverty in urban areas. 

Insurance Capital of the World

Often referred to as the “Insurance Capital of the World,” Hartford has long been a hub for major insurance companies, including The Hartford Insurance Group, where Linde worked. With its highly skilled workforce and well-educated population, the insurance industry has been a cornerstone of the city’s economy since the 1940s. 

A newspaper headline reads, "Army-Navy E Given to Underwood."
The Underwood Elliott Fischer Company was one of many companies in Hartford, Connecticut, to receive the Army-Navy “E” Award. Hartford Courant, March 17, 1945.
An illustration of a large factory building with multiple smokestacks.
The factory where Colt’s firearms were manufactured, Hartford, Connecticut, 1850. Library of Congress (2018647819).
A black and white photograph of a five-story building on the corner of a street. There are a few horse-drawn carriages in the road.
The Hartford Fire Insurance Company Building, at the corner of Trumbull and Pearl Streets in Hartford, Connecticut, c.1900-1910. Library of Congress (2016813916). 

Military Experience

Florence Linde enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on October 30, 1953, in New Haven, Connecticut. During her time in the Air Force, she completed a personnel specialist course in June 1954 while at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. This base had many roles during the Korean War, including as an evacuation hub for wounded soldiers and a training center for medical, logistics, and communications specialists.  

Linde was later stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado that same year. This base was used for training, but with weapons, munitions, and aircraft maintenance. Her work as a personnel specialist highlighted the need for non-combat work, even during wartime. Personnel specialists shared key details about benefits and duty assignments, informing other Airmen about their service and growth. 

Due to the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, signed by President Truman in 1948, women were allowed to make up 2% of the total force of all military branches. During the Korean War, the only women permitted near combat were nurses. Meanwhile, women in the Air Force completed important jobs in air traffic control, phone interpretation, and personnel like Linde. 

Linde met Norval “Jack” Dudley, an Airman First Class who worked on radios during the Korean War, and they were married on September 9, 1954. She soon became pregnant. Unfortunately, pregnant women were not allowed to serve in the military until 1975, when the Department of Defense changed its policy. She ended her Air Force career at the rank of Airman Second Class in October of that same year.  

ALT: An aerial photograph of an air strip.
Scott Air Force Base, 1943. United States Army Air Forces.
An aerial photograph of two massive airplane hangars on the edge of the base.
Hangars 1 (right) and 2 (left) at Lowry Air Force Base in the 1940s. Lowry Foundation.
A request for Dudley’s discharge, due to pregnancy, was issued in September 1955. Portions have been redacted for privacy reasons. National Archives and Records Administration.

Veterans Experience

Florence and Jack Dudley continued to grow their family, which eventually included three sons, Frederick, Lawrence, and Jack, and two daughters, Donna and Bonny.  The couple moved frequently, living in Michigan and Tennessee before settling in Indiana, where they eventually divorced.

Dudley lived a quiet life in Zionsville, Indiana, surrounded by her family. She lost her son, Jack, when he was only 45. She enjoyed spending time with her 11 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Jack Dudley is in full Marine uniform looking directly into the camera.
Dudley’s son, Jack, was a U.S. Marine before he passed away at 45. Ancestry.

Commemoration

Christmas was Dudley’s favorite time of year, which made her passing on December 26, 2019, especially poignant. She was laid to rest at Crown Hill National Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“Armed Forces to be Well Represented at Ceremony.” The Chronicle-Telegram [Elyra, OH], January 11, 1945. Newspapers.com (17046538). 

“Elizabeth Cousins Wed in Illinois.” The Morning Union [Springfield, MA], April 10, 1954. Newspapers.com (1068659025).

Florence Dudley, DD-214, Department of the Air Force. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Florence Dudley, Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Air Force. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

Florence M. Dudley. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995. http://ancestry.com. 

Florence M. Dudley. U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1. http://ancestry.com. 

Florence M. Linde. U.S., Social Security Death Index. https://www.fold3.com. 

Florence Mabel Dudley. Indiana, U.S., Marriage Records, 1960-2012. http://ancestry.com. 

“Fred K. Linde.” Hartford Courant [Hartford, CT], Dec. 1, 1957. Newspapers.com (368038975).

Hangar 1, Building 401. Photograph. Lowry Foundation. Accessed March 25, 2025. https://lowryfoundation.org/lowry-legacy/buildings/buildings-index/hangar-1-building-401/. 

Harford Fire Insurance Co., Hartford, Conn. Photograph. c.1900-1910. Library of Congress (2016813916). https://www.loc.gov/item/2016813916/. 

Klingberg History Museum. Brochure. Klingberg Family Centers. https://klingberg.org/klingberg_org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Klingberg-Museum-brochure.pdf.

“In an Effort to Repay our Debt to Fighting Forces.” Pasadena Independent [Pasadena, CA], May 11, 1945. Newspapers.com (619413044). 

“Marriage Licenses.” Hartford Courant [Hartford, CT], Sept. 8, 1954. Newspapers.com (371319126).

Murphy, T. E., “The Home That Prayer Built.” Reader’s Digest, October 1943. https://klingberg.org/klingberg_org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/1943-Klingberg-Article.pdf. 

Participants at the presentation of the Army-Navy “E” Award . . . Photograph. March 17, 1945. Hartford Courant [Hartford, CT], March 17, 1945. Newspapers.com (367772037).

Schierholz, L. Colt’s patent fire arms manufactory, Hartford, Conn., 1850. Accessed March 25, 2025. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018647819/. 

“Three WAFS Hurt.” Belleville Daily Advocate [Belleville, IL], Feb. 1, 1954. Newspapers.com (768358197).

Secondary Sources

“Aetna Helps Make Hartford ‘The Insurance Capital of the World.’” Connecticut History. Last modified March 27, 2022. Accessed November 8, 2024. https://connecticuthistory.org/aetna-helps-make-hartford-the-insurance-capital-of-the-world/. 

‌Cohen, Sharon L. “Army-Navy ‘E’ Award Honors Connecticut for Support Against the Axis Powers.” Connecticut History. Last modified August 29, 2023. Accessed November 8, 2024. https://connecticuthistory.org/army-navy-e-award-honors-connecticut-for-support-against-the-axis-powers/. 

“Connecticut Businesses in World War II.” University of Connecticut. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://lib.uconn.edu/location/asc/about/homefront-connecticut-businesses-in-world-war-ii/connecticut-businesses-in-world-war-ii/. 

Diamond, John. “Colt Commando Revolver .38 Special and the $25 War Department Deal. Warfare History Network, December 2016. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/colt-commando-revolver-38-special-and-the-25-war-department-deal/. 

Ellis, Taylor. “These 11 Photos Of Connecticut In The 1950s Are Mesmerizing.” Only in Connecticut. Updated June 21, 2017. Accessed November 8, 2024.  https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/state-pride/connecticut/1950s-connecticut-ct. 

“Enlisted Personnel.” U.S. Air Force. Accessed January 19, 2025. https://www.airforce.com/careers/logistics-and-administration/personnel. 

Evans, Jessica. “The Complete Scott Air Force Base Guide.” Last modified July 28, 2022. Accessed February 25, 2025. https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-culture/the-complete-scott-air-force-base-guide/. 

“Florence Linde Dudley.” National Cemetery Administration. Accessed October 1, 2024. https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov. 

“Florence M. Dudley.” Flanner Buchanan Funeral Home. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.flannerbuchanan.com/obituaries/florence-m-dudley.

“Florence Linde Dudley.” National Cemetery Administration. Accessed October 1, 2024. https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov.

“Florence Mabel Linde Dudley.” Find a Grave. Accessed October 24, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/250075940/florence-mabel-dudley.

“Florence Mabel Dudley.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/FLORENCEMABELDUDLEY/a2e15e.

Hoyt, Joseph Bixby and Irving J. Stolberg. “Connecticut.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/place/Connecticut. 

Mueller, Robert, Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. United States Air Force Historical Research Center, 1989. https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330255/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-026.pdf. 

Neish, Hadley. “Retired Lt. Col. Paved Way for Military Mothers.” Air Force Medical Service. Updated  March 2, 2022. Accessed January 19, 2025.  https://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/News/Display/Article/2951559/retired-lt-col-paved-way-for-military-mothers/.

“Our History.” The Hartford. Accessed March 25, 2025. https://www.thehartford.com/about-us/insurance-history. 

“Research Guide – Colt Manufacturing Co.” Museum of Connecticut History. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://museumofcthistory.org/research-guide-colt-manufacturing-co/. 

Women in the Air Force – displays in Korean War Gallery. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Accessed March 26, 2025. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/2381882/women-in-the-air-force-displays-in-korean-war-gallery/. 


This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.