USS HARRY E. HUBBARD DD-748
Hubbard crew members served with pride in World War II,
Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War Era

   

Erma Hubbard


 

Introductory by Mrs. Joseph. K. Taussig, Jr.

Presentation of Special Award of Merit by The Military Wives Association to Erma Hubbard by Mrs. Watkins, wife of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Date: about 1964 or 1965


      Today the National Military Wives Association is honoring Erma Hubbard. Her tremendous contribution to the welfare of the service family has, after 22 years, gained recognition and appreciation. It is our privilege to be able to honor her and to make known for the benefit of all the services what one woman has achieved to better the lot of the service family and thus better the quality of the services themselves.

       In 1942 Harry Hubbard, the skipper of the destroyer “Meredith” was killed in action. His widow who was left with a 15 year-old daughter received $50 a month as a pension. The widow of the Reserve Officer who was killed in action at the same time received over $400 a month. Erma was forced to grow her own vegetables and chop wood from pruned branches from Fort Meade for survival. But she was determined not to take away from the Reserve Officer’s widow but to equalize the status of the widow of a regular officer. To this end she wrote over 10,000 letters, testified many times before congress, walked the halls at congress, formed an organization called the Military Survivors Inc—and finally in 1958 some 16 years later succeeded in having a bill passed that brought the D.I.C. (Dependent’s Indemnity Compensation Act) into being. Which so many of you receive today. Our only regret is that it must be applied for and only 30% of widows who are eligible have applied for it. When the bill passed over 90,000 widows received compensation for the first time and today more than 250,000 widows receive compensation because of the work that Erma did almost single handedly.

      Another honored guest is Theresa Newman who was for years the Treasurer for Military Survivors and my own husband Joe Taussig who used to alternate with Admiral Jalbert as chairman of Mrs. Hubbard’s board. Jean Goldberg is also an honored guest today for the loving support she gave her mother then and continuing through the years.

     I would like you to know my dear friend Erma Hubbard and to thank her for myself for her tremendous contribution to the services and to her country.