Their Story
Elizabeth Ann Van Vleck-Sally was born in Oakland, California, on November 21, 1942, to Wendall and Luvena Van Vleck. Elizabeth graduated from Hayward High School in Hayward, California, in 1960. Elizabeth enlisted into the U.S. Army in 1972 as an Operating Room and Administrative Specialist. An operating room specialist assists nurses and surgeons during procedures and ensures the sterilization of tools.
In 1972, the Vietnam War was well underway and would end three years later. Elizabeth was one of 265,000 women who served in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Out of those 265,000, only 11,000 actually went to Vietnam. Elizabeth served stateside, stationed at Indiantown Gap National Guard Camp in Pennsylvania, working with Vietnamese refugees.
Elizabeth was transferred to Hawaii for three years and then returned to California where she met Ed Sally, the man she would marry. They met through her sister and brother-in-law, who already knew Ed from working in grocery stores together. Ed wasn’t unfamiliar with the military; he had a father who was a retired Major who conducted Elizabeth’s Oath of Enlistment in 1983. Elizabeth eventually transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves and made the rank of Master Sergeant in 1989 and was assigned to Fort Baker with the 91st Division.
During her time with the 91st Division, she did an undertaking that spoke to her artistic talent. She restored pictures of the unit from their time in World War 1 that had begun to “fox and discolor from neglect.” Her project led to her self-publishing a book of all the restored artwork of the Division’s time in World War I. A copy of the book was donated by Ed to this project.
Elizabeth retired from the U.S. Army Reserves in 2002 at the rank of Master Sergeant. Upon retiring, Elizabeth and Ed moved to Burlington, Iowa. It was quite the change of scenery from the San Francisco Bay area of California. In Burlington, Iowa. Elizabeth gained employment at a private school but moved on to running a tutoring center with Ed. Math was her specialty at the tutoring center, but she taught whatever was needed. Ed loved how rewarding seeing the progress was with the children.
Elizabeth kept up with her artwork and did some of the artwork for the historical society of Des Moines County in Burlington. She earned a Master of Art Education in 1995 from Cal State. She also ran the library at the Burlington Baptist Church, which she was “very involved in.” She and Ed had many Chihuahuas; Elizabeth was an animal lover. So much so that when she was buried, she was buried with the ashes of 17 former pets.
Elizabeth passed away in her home on February 17, 2021, and was buried at the Rock Island National Cemetery, in Section V, Row 0, Site number 1000, on February 25, 2021.
1 “Elizabeth Ann Van Vleck Sally,” Lunning Funeral Chapel, accessed March 7, 2022,
https://www.lunningfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/Elizabeth-Ann-Van-Vleck-Sally?obId=20046382
2 “Elizabeth Ann Van Vleck Sally,” Lunning Funeral Chapel, accessed March 7, 2022,
https://www.lunningfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/Elizabeth-Ann-Van-Vleck-Sally?obId=20046382
3 Lloyd Edward Sally, interview with author, March 21, 2022.
4 “Operating Room Specialist,” Careers and Jobs, accessed April 4, 2022,
5 “Women Veterans Bravely Served During Vietnam War,” VAntage Point Contributor, March 14, 2021, https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/86001/women-veterans-bravely-served-vietnam-war/#:~:text=During%20the%20Vietn am%20War%2C%20more,90%25%20working%20as%20volunteer%20nurses.
6 Lloyd Edward Sally, interview with author, March 21, 2022.
7 IBID
8 IBID
9 Sally, Elizabeth, The 91st Division in World War 1 (self-pub.)
10 Lloyd Edward Sally, interview with author, March 21, 2022.
11 IBID
13 Lloyd Edward Sally, interview with author, March 21, 2022.
14 IBID