Magazine Tells Story Of Harriett Engelhardt And A Job Worth Having

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — At 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 110 pounds, Harriett Engelhardt did not, at first glance, appear to be a prime candidate for service at the front in one of the most catastrophic conflicts of the 20th century — but she was. A closer examination of her brief life shows she would not have chosen to be anywhere else.

Karon Bailey documents the extraordinary experiences of this Montgomery native in the summer 2000 issue of Alabama Heritage magazine, focusing largely on Engelhardt’s fateful time as a Clubmobile girl in the Red Cross during World War II. Quoting extensively from Engelhardt’s 86 letters home to relatives and friends during this period, Bailey paints a vivid picture of the breadth of spirit behind this diminutive woman.

Perhaps the most striking thing about Engelhardt’s often lyrical letters home is that they clearly show that she was having the time of her life amidst the drudgery, mud, and bombs. Churning out coffee and doughnuts, doling out cigarettes, gum and not a little much-needed small talk to American G.I.’s in Europe, Engelhardt spent 17 months at the front from 1944 through 1945. The popular “Hattie” was fearless, tireless and exhilarated.

Today, unfortunately, these letters and a few photographs she sent home — along with the memories of those who knew her — are all that remain of Harriett, for like many of the men she served so proudly and vibrantly, she never made it home from the war.

In late October of 1945, with the war in Europe decided for months, Engelhardt received word that her tour of duty was over. Reacting with her trademark exuberance, she hopped into a jeep and raced to Munich to complete the paperwork authorizing her return home. Meeting her friend Bill Billwin along the way, she convinced him to climb into her jeep so they could spend the few remaining hours she had on the continent together. As she and Billwin sped back from Donauworth, Germany, eager to celebrate, it began to rain. The combination of high speeds and slick roads proved too much; the jeep careened off the road, turning over many times, killing Engelhardt instantly. Miraculously, Billwin survived.

Engelhardt, along with more than 10,000 American Armed Forces and support personnel, is buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery near Saint Avold, France. It is the largest American World War II cemetery in Europe.

Karon S. Bailey, an associate professor of English at Alabama State University, holds an M.A. in English from Florida State University and an Ed.D. in English education from Auburn University. Interested in employing women’s nontraditional writings — such as letters, diaries, and journals — in the classroom, Bailey used the letters of Harriett Engelhardt as the basis for her doctoral dissertation.

Alabama Heritage is a nonprofit quarterly magazine published by The University of Alabama and The University of Alabama at Birmingham. To order the magazine, write Alabama Heritage, Box 870342, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0342, or call 205/348-7467.