Florice "Folly" Langley was born in Alabama. When she was young she went to
New York trying to break into theatre as a singer. She earned a college degree
and worked during the depression for the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
At the outbreak of WWII, she attempted to enlist in the United States military but
at forty-something she was "too old" to be accepted. Leveraging her experience
in the WPA, she volunteered and served with the American Red Cross (ARC).
Florice "Folly" Langley Short Snorter
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The Short Snorter Project
Folly's great niece, Ann Boyd, writes, "Folly was a wonderful person. She never married but she loved the company of
men and was quite a flirt! She definitely saw herself as part of the camaraderie of the troops. She traveled with the Red
Cross extensively in India and Australia, never losing her love for those countries, their politics, and their culture."
"After WWII, Folly earned her Masters in Social Work from Tulane and went on to help many people. It is difficult to
imagine the unity and integrity that existed at the time of the greatest generation. Thank you for your work to preserve
their history. I hope future generations can learn from them, although we could never aspire to be as good as they were."
Click here to go to the next page and learn more about this "charming" lady who proudly served her country and to also see more notes in the Folly Langley - Red Cross - Short Snorter.
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Red Cross volunteer Eleanor Roosevelt signing a short snorter in New Zealand during her 1943 goodwill tour to the South Pacific. Note the Red Cross uniform. (Photo courtesy of The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library - Special thanks to Photo Archivist Mark Renovitch.)
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Rare unpublished photograph of model, actress, and WWII pinup girl Jinx Falkenburg signing a short snorter in the midst of a group of happy US Army Tech Sergeants. (Photo courtesy of Ann Boyd from the Florice Langley estate.)
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American Red Cross Overseas Service Certificate awarded to Florice Langley and signed by President Harry Truman.
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