Ruth Hartman was among the first women in the U.S. military, serving in the US Navy WAVES during World War II. Stationed at Norfolk Naval Air Station, she repaired planes damaged in combat. She cherished her time in the military, her service to her country and the life-long friends she made.
Ruth was the embodiment of The Greatest Generation: resilient, resourceful, incredibly smart beyond her formal education, frugal but generous, and very adventurous, curious and witty. A character with character. After the war, Ruth (nee Zimmer) returned to her life-long hometown of Reading, Ohio, where she met her husband Bill and raised her family.
You might have met Ruth at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, where she doctored for decades and loved talking with her fellow veterans. She was among the first women veterans to go on the Tristate Honor Flight. In 2015, the Tristate Warbird Museum honored her with its Contribution to Freedom Award for her WWII service.
Born on Christmas Day, 1921, Ruth could be seen well into her 90s working in her yard, pinning laundry in the sun, turning over rocks in the creek, and putting out her US flag as she picked up her morning paper. She passed on in 2020. She would have loved being part of the VALOR program and exploring archaeology, side-by-side with her fellow veterans.
