Daisy May Pratt Erd

USNR The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...

(1882-1925) was a Canadian-born American songwriter and composer, and a naval

Yeoman (F) Yeoman (F) was an enlisted rate for women in the United States Navy Reserve, U.S. Naval Reserve during World War I. The first Yeoman (F) was Loretta Perfectus Walsh. At the time, the women were popularly referred to as "yeomanettes" or even "yeowo ...

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during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After the war, she advocated for the recognition of women veterans.

Early life

Daisy May Pratt was born in CanadaE. M. Foxwell, "Daisy May Erd, Yeoman (F) and war composer" ''American Women in World War I'' (May 22, 2017). and raised in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, where she taught music.

Career

Erd was a young mother of two and a piano teacher, when she enlisted in the

United States Navy Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...

in 1917. Soon she was the chief yeoman in charge of all the enlisted women working in the

Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

. She opened a lunch room for the naval yard's employees, and created the Hingham Naval Training Station Band, for the recreation of recruits with musical skills. Compositions by Erd included " We'll Carry The Star Spangled Banner Thru The Trenches", "Uncle Sam's Ships" (a tribute to the ), "Welcome Home", and "The Rear Admiral Wood One-Step" (written in honor of

Spencer S. Wood Rear Admiral Spencer Shepard Wood (7 August 1861 – 30 July 1940) was a United States Navy officer. His career included service in the Spanish–American War and World War I, command of battleships and cruisers, and duty as an aide to a number o ...

). She donated thousands of dollars in profits from these songs to the Naval Reserve Fund and the Naval Relief Society. She was awarded a gold medal in 1918 by William R. Rush, commandant of the naval yard, "for merit, war service". After her active service, she helped to found the first women's post of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

, in Boston, and was elected as commander of the post. She successfully persuaded the American Legion's national executive committee in Washington D. C. to maintain the unique post's charter and Charlestown location, against some local opposition. She advocated for a state bonus of $100 for women in Massachusetts who served in the Navy, and began a union to improve the women veterans' job prospects. "We did a man's job, and why shouldn't we be treated like the men are treated in the matter of bonuses?" she asked. As a show of appreciation, the women of her American Legion post bought her ringside seats to a boxing match in Boston in 1921, assuring a reporter that "she will be tickled foolish when we tell her that she is going to the fight.""Daisy Erd to Attend Fight"
''Boston Post'' (January 7, 1921): 17. via

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Personal life

Daisy May Pratt married Louis Erd, a barber. They had two daughters, Norma and Georgia. Georgia also served in the military, rising to the rank of Major in the Army. Daisy Pratt Erd died in 1925, from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

that she contracted during her naval service.

References

External links

Sheet music for "The Rear Admiral Wood One-Step"
by Daisy M. Erd, from the University of Florida Special and Area Studies Collections. {{DEFAULTSORT:Erd, Daisy May Pratt 1882 births 1925 deaths Musicians from Chicago Songwriters from Illinois American women songwriters 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Canadian emigrants to the United States 20th-century American women musicians Yeoman (F) personnel Tuberculosis deaths in the United States 20th-century American songwriters