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TOPEKA, Kansas –Coast Guard SPAR Mabel Johnson celebrated her 106th birthday as a guest of Capt. Derek Smith, at the Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Service Center in Topeka, Kansas, Nov. 3, 2020. After enlisting in 1943 during World War II, Johnson attended boot camp in Palm Beach, Florida, where she subsequently enrolled in storekeeper school. She served in Cleveland, Ohio where she worked in the payroll and supply division supporting the Coast Guard in the Great Lakes region. Her birthday celebration included a tour of the Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Service Center, where she is an honorary member, a video conference with Ninth District Commander, Rear Adm. Donna Cottrell, and Rear Adm. Joanna Nunan, former Ninth District Commander and current Assistant Commandant for Human Resources. Both admirals expressed their appreciation for the trailblazing women of the SPAR workforce, who provide inspiration to a service that continues to strive for the most inclusive workforce. The SPARS (Semper Paratus, Always Ready) was the United States Coast Guard Women's Reserve branch that operated during World War II. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)