Miriam Hessel travelled to Palestine from the U.S.A. early in 1948 to study at the Hebrew University. When Israel declared its independence, she joined the Women’s Army Corps, Chen, serving from June 1948 until May 1949 in the IDF. She engaged in work related to social services and also worked as a translator.
She described her participation in action to her daughter as “carrying a Molotov cocktail under my skirt.”
Prior to making aliyah she studied Jewish education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She met her husband Alexander in Palestine, and they remained in Israel until 1956, when they returned to the U.S.A.
Miriam passed away on January 10th 2003 in the U.S.
Source: American Veterans of Israel Newsletter, Winter 2003