90-Year-Old World War II Veteran Recalls D-Day Orders

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — It’s her pioneer spirit and a fluke that got retired World War II veteran, Helen Denton to join the United States army.

“My girlfriend wanted to join the service and she asked me to go with her up to Minneapolis. While I was there I said I might as well take the test to see what it was like; it ended up me joining the service and she didn’t pass,” said Denton.

After basic training Denton became a recruiter, enlisting women for clerical jobs.

Denton said, “My job there was secretary to the post commander. One day I carried the mail into him, he opened a telegram and he said I’ve got a very hard job. When I asked him what, he said General Eisenhower has put out a call for one girl from our unit to be sent to take training in order to be assigned to his staff in London.”

The job was hers. From there, the FBI trained Denton to do top-secret work for General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s command. For three months, she typed 9 hours a day, 5 days a week – but never committed the words to memory.

“If we were asked to remember what we typed (this was in the training) and we could tell them what we typed then they knew we had absorbed the information they had given us so we had to start all over again,” that’s according to Denton.

She had no idea back then the experience would land her a place in history.

“I feel fortunate that I had a part in it, at the time I realized it was my job, I was going to do the very best I can, I never considered what it would be like afterwards,” Denton said.

Denton finally reveal her role while celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion.

She said, “They were having stories of the men who were there on D-Day and I happen to mention to a friend of mine, ‘you know women were there too’ and she said what do you mean, I said ‘well I’ve never told anybody but I was there, I typed the battle plans for the invasion.”

At the end of each work day, the carbon paper and the typewriter ribbon were destroyed.

“I’m sorry that I was never able to tell my husband and son what I did or anybody in my family, I would have felt very proud if my husband was living today and could see the things that I’ve been able to do with my experience,” Denton said.

After her time spent in the service, Denton became a volunteer with Red Cross and a post commander at the VFW 3650 in Riverdale, Georgia. In August 2009, President Barack Obama presented Denton with the Gold Medal of Merit.

At 90-years-old, Denton said “Life is good, it’s what you make of it. My life didn’t end after the service, it’s the life I’ve had since then that’s been worthwhile.”

Denton was the guest speaker at the “We Will Never Forget” World War II Appreciation Luncheon Thursday. The event held at the VFW Post 6605 honored veterans for their dedicated service.