Introductory by Mrs. Joseph. K. Taussig, Jr.

Presentation of Special Award of Merit
by The Military Wives Association to Erma Hubbard
by Mrs. Watkins, wife of the
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations
Date: about 1964 or 1965

                            Today the National Military Wives Association is honoring Erma Hubbard. Her tremendous contribution to the welfare of the
                            service family has, after 22 years, gained recognition and appreciation. It is our privilege to be able to honor her and to make
                            known for the benefit of all the services what one woman has achieved to better the lot of the service family and thus better
                            the quality of the services themselves.

                            In 1942 Harry Hubbard, the skipper of the destroyer “Meredith” was killed in action. His widow who was left with a 15
                            year-old daughter received $50 a month as a pension. The widow of the Reserve Officer who was killed in action at the same
                            time received over $400 a month. Erma was forced to grow her own vegetables and chop wood from pruned branches from
                            Fort Meade for survival. But she was determined not to take away from the Reserve Officer’s widow but to equalize the status
                            of the widow of a regular officer. To this end she wrote over 10,000 letters, testified many times before congress, walked the
                            halls at congress, formed an organization called the Military Survivors Inc—and finally in 1958 some 16 years later succeeded
                            in having a bill passed that brought the D.I.C. (Dependent’s Indemnity Compensation Act) into being. Which so many of you
                            receive today. Our only regret is that it must be applied for and only 30% of widows who are eligible have applied for it. When
                            the bill passed over 90,000 widows received compensation for the first time and today more than 250,000 widows receive
                            compensation because of the work that Erma did almost single handedly.

                            Another honored guest is Theresa Newman who was for years the Treasurer for Military Survivors and my own husband Joe
                            Taussig who used to alternate with Admiral Jalbert as chairman of Mrs. Hubbard’s board. Jean Goldberg is also an honored
                            guest today for the loving support she gave her mother then and continuing through the years.

                            I would like you to know my dear friend Erma Hubbard and to thank her for myself for her tremendous contribution to the
                            services and to her country.