World War II codebreaker Julia Parsons celebrates 100th birthday with parade, Zoom party
Julia Parsons, of Forest Hills, helped win World War II. The secret, invisible war fought behind the battlefields.
Parsons helped break the Germans’ naval codes, often locating the precise locations and plans of their fearsome U-Boat (submarine) fleet, whose Wolfpack swarms threatened to cut off the shipping lanes that connected the U.S. to England.
Parsons only started talking about her wartime experiences in 1997, taking her mission of secrecy to heart. Not even her husband knew what she did during the war.
On Tuesday, she turned 100. There was a parade (featuring local first responders, veterans and civilians) past her home in Forest Hills, and a Zoom party, during where she talked about her long life and wartime experiences. The fête is organized by the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit, Veterans Breakfast Club, which collects and preserves the stories of veterans and has provided a crucial
Washington City Paper
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