Spencer, Elizabeth, September 12, 1979

Elizabeth Spencer was born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1903. She taught elementary school for about 30 years in Norfolk. Around 1947, Spencer was convinced to go to Japan with a friend, applying and getting accepted to work with Special Services, the entertainment branch of the U.S. Military. Spencer received permission from the elementary school to go to Japan, arriving in 1948. She was assigned to work as the service club director at the Yokohama Club. They soon sent her to the Sugamo Prison, where Spencer worked with the American G.I.s guarding Japanese prisoners from the War Crime Trials. While there, Spencer organized various performances to entertain the G.I.s, including a singing performance by Japanese school children during Christmas. She worked at the prison for 13 months before being transferred to another club. Spencer was in Japan for a total of two years before returning to the U.S., where she went back to teaching for an additional two years before retiring. After her retirement, Spencer went to Alaska to work for the U.S. Army Alaska. Spencer remained there for two years from 1955 to 1957.