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 Sara Grace Bracken
Sara Grace Bracken was born on July 22, 1923, in Lakewood, Ohio, to Wilhelmina Warner, age 23, and Wallace Henry Bracken, age 22. She had two brothers Peter and Warner and in Rye her family lived on Van Wagenen Avenue. Sara attended Alfred University.
She enlisted in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. (see Muster Rolls)
Sara Bracken Joins WAVES
Miss Sara Grace Bracken, of Van Wagenen Avenue, has been sworn into the Womens Reserve, U. S. Naval Reserve, as an apprentice seaman in the enlisted quota of the WAVES. She is the daughter of Lieut. Wallace Bracken and Mrs. Bracken and her father was the validating officer. Miss Bracken attended the Grier School of Birmingham, Pa. , and Alfred University. She is now at the U. S. Naval Training School at Hunter College in the Bronx.
PAGE TWO THE RYECHRONICLE Friday, August 27, 1943
 The WAVES served in 900 shore stations in the continental United States. Initially, they were prohibited from serving on ships or outside of the country. In September 1944, the Congress amended the law by allowing the WAVES to volunteer for service in the territories of Alaska and Hawaii. Hawaii was the only overseas station staffed with the WAVES on a permanent basis. The officers were employed in such professions as doctors, attorneys, engineers, mathematicians, and chaplains.
Most enlisted WAVES worked in jobs traditionally performed by women, such as clerical work, health care, or storekeeping. A few took over jobs typically held by men, in occupations like aviation machinists, aviation metalsmiths, parachute riggers, control tower operators, radio operators, yeomen, or statisticians.
 Sara married Lawrence Graniss Hommel on March 24, 1945, in Rye, New York. By 1950 the couple had moved to Metuchen, New Jersey to start a family. She was a mother and home maker.
Sara Grace Bracken Hommel died on August 31, 2005, in Irvington, Virginia, at the age of 82, and was buried in Kilmarnock, Virginia.
At the time of her death, she was survived by her husband of 60 years, Lawrence Granniss Hommel; two sons and daughters-in-law, Scott Lee and Heidi Hommel of Great Falls, Va., David Bracken and Carmen Garcia Hommel of Lancaster, Pa.; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were held 11 a.m. Saturday, September 17, 2005 at Grace Episcopal Church, Kilmarnock.
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