Virginia Dunn

Verna Virginia Dunn was born to Chester and Hazel Raper in Oklahoma City May 11th, 1930. Growing up she noticed a new boy moved in next door showing off riding his bicycle with no hands standing on the seat. That boy, Alvin Dunn, lied about his age and joined the Army. After deployment to Korea he wrote to her asking, "Why are we even here?" She replied with her patriotic thoughts on fighting 130 thousand Chinese in the freezing snow. Alvin shared her letter with his buddies and after it was passed up the ranks the Army decided to introduce "Ginny" to the troops by publishing and distributing it to all the U.S. troops on the front lines to boost morale. Alvin survived the battle of the Chosen Reservoir and became known as one of the "Chosen Few." On his return to a brand new red ford convertible in his driveway they married in 1951 after she said, "Yes, I like to travel!" And so, her career as an Army wife began at Ft. Bragg North Carolina in a one bedroom garage apartment. Gary and Danny were born while Alvin received jumpmaster training and after a move in 1954 to Fort Campbell Kentucky, Karen, the youngest followed.

Next stop, 1956 Munich Germany for 3 years. 1959 deployed to Tampa Florida during the Cuban missile crisis where Mom and Dad introduced us to boating, fishing and skiing. Mom built a bunker in a closet with canned food and emergency survival provisions to thrive on after a nuclear attack. Military wives are tough women. Mom would pack, move, and settle in a new destination anywhere in the world without questioning a thing. Our orders in 1964 were back to Germany. Mom crossed the Atlantic twice on the USS Alexander M. Patch landing in France. Dad left with the convoy for Frankfurt Germany while Mom was left to take the train in a foreign country juggling luggage, passports, two toddlers and a baby in winter. That's where the real adventures started. On arrival at Bad Kreuznack we celebrated Christmas without our household goods, eating off cardboard boxes living in an old German house shoveling coal into the basement boiler for heat. The German cooking lessons, Mom speaking German and nearly every weekend was filled with trips to exotic castles from Neuschwanstein (New swan stein) to the Frankenstein Castle. Trips to Holland, Switzerland, France and just about any historical site in Europe filled the family's days. Of course Alvin stayed busy capturing all those adventures with the latest 8 millimeter home movies, slides and Polaroid photos. By then Mom was speaking and cooking her own brand of authentic German! Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Wienerschnitzel?

In 1968 Dad went to Vietnam for 13 months, so we moved back to Mom's home town of Oklahoma City. She bought a raffle ticket for a dollar and won her choice of a new Camero, travel camper or boat. Since Dad was in a combat zone there was no tax. She wound up trading for a new 1968 Impala. Total cost $1.

On Alvin's return we were sent to to Fort Huachuca (Wa-choo-ka) Arizona. That's when the camping really kicked in with the boating. Any outdoor activity such as hiking, biking, mountain climbing or exploring of any kind was fuel for the fire. Weekend stays at lakes, mountain spots and desert getaways were tons of fun while mom kept busy on the base Welcoming Committee, a Red Cross volunteer, the Thrift Shop chairman for the NCO wives club and Military Wife of the Year in 1971. Alvin ended his military career as a Command Sergeant Major in 1973 and moved into the current family home in Oklahoma City.

Alvin and Virginia became legendary as Uncle Alvin and Aunt Gin to everyone who knew them with a multitude of children doing family activities and festive celebrations at their home. The matriarch of the family, everyone's mother, friend, confidante, sister, cheerleader and inspiration to us all. The proud Army wife, strong and devoted, and carried that quiet strength throughout her life. Now she's reunited in heaven with her beloved Alvin. She was and is forever part of our story. What a beautiful life. What a beautiful legacy. We will miss you so much…..