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Airman Second Class Margaret Elgie Tansey Bentley

Margaret Tansey Bentley wearing her Air Force uniform.
  • Unit: 1143rd USAF Special Activities Squadron, 1130th USAF Special Activities Group
  • Date of Birth: September 26, 1932
  • Entered the Military: July 30, 1951
  • Date of Death: June 23, 2012
  • Hometown: White Plains, New York
  • Place of Death: Allentown, Pennsylvania
  • Cemetery: Section 3A, Row M, Grave 258. Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Agawam, Massachusetts
Contributed by Emma Darrah, Adalayde Duffy, Sri Lakshmi Harinarayanan Subhasri, and Ella Lins
Mentored by Mr. Brian Sheehy
North Andover High School (North Andover, Massachusetts)
2024/2025

Early Life

Margaret Tansey was born on September 26, 1932, in White Plains, New York, to Patrick Tansey, who immigrated from Ireland in 1927, and Lillian Shelly. Shelly’s family came from Pennsylvania, and its military service can be traced back to the Revolutionary War. Tansey also grew up with two brothers, James and Patrick Jr., and attended Scarsdale High School in New York before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. 

The female students in Margaret Tansey’s freshman class at Scarsdale High School, 1948. Tansey is in the first front row, fourth from the left. Ancestry Classroom.
Margaret Tansey at 17 years of age. Courtesy of Richard Bentley.

Homefront

During World War II, Westchester County played a significant role in the war effort—General Motors produced airplane parts, Norden manufactured bomb sights in White Plains, and the Alexander Smith Carpet Mills supplied tents and uniforms for the military. Residents also actively supported and took action to help the war effort, even taking in British and French children displaced by the war. 

By the 1950s, Westchester communities embraced suburban, family-oriented lifestyles, shaped by the hardships of the Great Depression and the sacrifices of wartime. White Plains also carries a deeper historical legacy, as it was the site of the Battle of White Plains during the Revolutionary War. In honor of this battle, the USS White Plains was commissioned in World War II and played a key role in defending a major American camp against Japanese forces, further tying the town’s history to the nation’s military legacy. 

After World War II, White Plains, located in Westchester County, New York, experienced a period of rapid growth, transforming into a booming commercial center with new buildings and expressways that attracted people from other areas. Unlike some regions that focused on wartime manufacturing during the Korean War, White Plains shifted its focus to family life and business development.

White Plains, New York during the Great Depression, January 25, 1930. White Plains City Archives.
The USS White Plains (CVE-66) assisted by a tugboat in San Diego, California, April 1944.  Naval History and Heritage Command (80-G-302258).

Military Experience

Margaret Tansey enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on July 30, 1951, in New York City and served for over a year before her discharge on December 19, 1952. She trained at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas before being stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia, where she worked as a stenographer in various Air Force Special Activities units. Her role involved transcribing spoken communications into written records, a crucial task in military logistics and administration. 

Having become part of the Women’s Air Force (WAF) in the early 1950s, Tansey was featured as a model in the 1952 “Women in Our Armed Services” campaign, highlighting the contributions of women in the military. When the stamp was announced on September 11, 1952, President Harry S. Truman remarked:

There were over 300,000 women in the services in World War II. They filled 239 different types of military jobs and released fighting men for the front. There are nine components in which women serve and have permanent status, by act of Congress signed and approved by the President of the United States. Four hundred and fifty types of jobs in the services are open to women. Some of them require highly complicated training. There are 46,000 women now serving as voluntary officers and enlisted personnel. They are serving in 15 countries . . .I want to say to you women of the services, that your devotion to duty is right in line with those men who earned those [Medals of Honor]. If you had the opportunity, you would earn those medals, too. Sometimes you earn the medals and never get them.

Margaret Tansey did not serve overseas but contributed on the homefront during the Korean War era. She was considered for a Good Conduct Medal and left the military with a strong record of service, having played a vital role in maintaining efficient communication and operations within her unit.

A memorial at Lackland Air Force Base with many flags.
Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Texas State Historical Association.
Margaret Tansey was featured as a model in the “Women in Our Armed Services” campaign, representing the Women’s Air Force, September 11, 1952. National Postal Museum (1980.2493.5037).
Margaret Tansey in her military dress uniform. Courtesy of Richard Bentley.
Bentley’s DD-214 detailing her military service. Portions have been redacted for privacy. Official Military Personnel File.

Veteran Experience

During her service, Margaret Tansey worked in public relations at the Pentagon, where she met Thomas G. Bentley. The two married on December 6, 1952, in Scarsdale, New York, while she was stationed at the Pentagon. Together, they had three children.

After her military service, she owned Annie’s Book Store in Westfield, Massachusetts, where she became a beloved figure in the community. Her passion for books and her involvement in local activities, including quilting and wine tastings, helped her build meaningful connections. Her impact was felt deeply by those around her, leaving a legacy of warmth, service, and dedication to her family and community.

Margaret and Thomas Bentley on their wedding, December 6, 1952. Courtesy of Richard Bentley.
Margaret and Tom Bentley, c.2005. Courtesy of Richard Bentley.

Commemoration

Margaret Bentley died on June 23, 2012, at the age of 79. She is buried in the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, Massachusetts.

Margaret Bentley’s grave at Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, Massachusetts. Find a Grave.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

“3c Women in Our Armed Services Single.” Postage stamp. September 11, 1952. National Postal Museum (1980.2493.5037). https://postalmuseum.si.edu/object/npm_1980.2493.5037. 

Bentley Family Photographs. Courtesy of Richard Bentley. https://www.family2remember.com/bios/mebentley1952.htm. 

Margaret E. Bentley. Family photographs. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com/. 

Margaret E. Bentley. Public Records Index, 1950-1993. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com/. 

“Margaret E. Bentley.” The Republican, June 27, 2012. https://obits.masslive.com/us/obituaries/masslive/name/margaret-bentley-obituary?id=20723387.

Margaret E. Tansey. New York State,  Marriage Index, 1881-1967. https://www.ancestryclassroom.com.

Margaret Elgie Tansey. Official Military Personnel File, Department of the Air Force. National Archives and Records Administration – St. Louis.

New York. Westchester County. 1940 U.S. Census. Digital images. http://ancestryclasroom.com.

“Remarks at a Ceremony Marking the Issuance of the ‘Women in the Armed Services’ Commemorative Stamp.” Speech. September 11, 1952. Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/public-papers/248/remarks-ceremony-marking-issuance-women-armed-services-commemorative.

Scarsdale High School Yearbook. Scarsdale Union Free School District, 1948. https://ancestryclassroom.com. 

USS White Plains. Photograph. April 1944. Naval History and Heritage Command (80-G-302258). https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nara-series/80-g/80-G-300000/80-G-302258.html.

Secondary Sources

“History 1920-1983: Westchester Comes of Age.” Westchester County. Accessed November 14, 2024 https://www.westchestergov.com/1920-1983. 

“History of White Plains.” City of White Plains. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/469/History-of-White-Plains.

“The Korean War Era.” U.S. Army Center of Military History. Accessed August 26, 2024. https://www.history.army.mil/html/bookshelves/resmat/korea/intro/index.html.

“Local History: Slum Clearance.” White Plains Public Library. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://whiteplainslibrary.org/2016/09/local-history-blog-slum-clearance/.

“Margaret E. ‘Peggy’ Tansey Bentley.” Find a Grave. Updated June 26, 2012. Accessed May 2, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92650888/margaret-e-bentley. 

“Margaret Tansey Bentley.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed May 2, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/MARGARETTANSEYBENTLEY/83aa55.

Robbins, Dan. “White Plains Makes Its Mark In History.” Westchester Magazine, May 3, 2016. https://westchestermagazine.com/publications/white-plains-makes-its-mark-in-history/.

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.