Their Story
On February 27, 1929, Juan-Nita Benkufsky was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota Roman J. Benkufsky and Ione M. Montbriand.[1] Her father was a welder on the railroad.[2] Juan-Nita joined the Navy in 1949. She served during the Korean War.[3] The Korean War started on June 25, 1950. North Korea, which was backed by the Soviet Union, sent 75,000 soldiers to invade the South Korea side. The United States backed the South Korean side and joined the war by July. This was the first military action during the Cold War. There were worries about World War III and negotiations were conducted. The negotiations did not lead anywhere and on July 27, 1953, the North and South side signed an armistice. This declared that the border they had been fighting on would be the boundary lines between the two countries.[4]
Juan-Nita’s job within the Navy was as an aerographer’s mate.[5] An aerographer’s mate is extremely knowledgeable in meteorology and oceanography to ensure the Navy can succeed in its physical environment. They use science and math to help calculate weather patterns and analyze data on the forecast. They also help calculate air pressure, wind speed, temperature, and sea state. This information is critical to the function of a battleship.[6]
Juan-Nita’s career advancements were limited within the Navy because she was a woman. During World War I and World War II, women were allowed to serve, but would only be able, during wartime, to free up space for men to serve in combat. Women would be discharged six months after the war ended and could not remain in service. That was until 1948, when President Harry Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. This allowed women to serve permanently within the Army or Navy. However, women were still discriminated against by restrictions that stated that women could not serve in a unit having combat missions.[7]
Juan-Nita retired from the Navy in 1951. In 1951, she also married Raymond Brozo, who also served in the Navy from 1948 to 1952, in Rhode Island.[8] The two met while serving in the Navy. They settled in Clinton, Iowa, and had eight children together, Mary, Susan, Ramon, Lawrence, Joseph, Thomas, Steven, and Stanley. Juan-Nita was a homemaker for the duration of her life.[9]
Juan-Nita passed away on June 18, 2001. She was buried at the Rock Island Arsenal in the National Cemetery with her husband Raymond Brozo who passed away .[10]
[1] NARA – AAD – Display Full Records – Application (SS-5) Files, 1936 – 2007 (Last Names A through B) (archives.gov)
[2] 1930 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com
[3] Nagel, Ken. “Juan-Nita S. Benkufsky Brozo.” Find a Grave. March 10, 2011.
[4] History. “Korean War.” Last updated May 11, 2022.
[5] Nagel, Ken. “Juan-Nita S. Benkufsky Brozo.” Find a Grave. March 10, 2011.
[6] America’s Navy. “Aerographer’s Mate.” Accessed August 4, 2022.
[7] Navy League of the U.S. Honolulu Council. “Celebrating Navy Women: Perseverance and Achievements.” Accessed August 4, 2022.
[8] Raymond Stanley Brozo (1931-2021) – Find a Grave Memorial
[9] Nagel, Ken. “Juan-Nita S. Benkufsky Brozo.” Find a Grave. March 10, 2011.
[10] Nagel, Ken. “Juan-Nita S. Benkufsky Brozo.” Find a Grave. March 10, 2011.
References
1 NARA – AAD – Display Full Records – Application (SS-5) Files, 1936 – 2007 (Last Names A through B) (archives.gov)
2 1930 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com
3 Nagel, Ken. “Juan-Nita S. Benkufsky Brozo.” Find a Grave. March 10, 2011.
4 History. “Korean War.” Last updated May 11, 2022.
5 Nagel, Ken. “Juan-Nita S. Benkufsky Brozo.” Find a Grave. March 10, 2011.
6 America’s Navy. “Aerographer’s Mate.” Accessed August 4, 2022.
7 Navy League of the U.S. Honolulu Council. “Celebrating Navy Women: Perseverance and Achievements.” Accessed August 4, 2022.
8 Raymond Stanley Brozo (1931-2021) – Find a Grave Memorial
9 Nagel, Ken. “Juan-Nita S. Benkufsky Brozo.” Find a Grave. March 10, 2011.
10 Nagel, Ken. “Juan-Nita S. Benkufsky Brozo.” Find a Grave. March 10, 2011.