Meet Grandma Jo

Josette "Saucy Jo" Morelli was the kind of woman WWII propaganda posters couldn't quite capture — too curvy for combat boots, too mouthy for debutante balls, and too clever to stay quiet while her husband went off to kill Nazis.

Born in Salisbury, Massachusetts, Jo was the daughter of a lobsterman and a piano teacher. She grew up sandwiched between sharp women, salt air, and summer carnies — which probably explains the hustle, the curves, and the casual comfort with public flirtation.

By 1942, her high school sweetheart Frankie Morelli had been hand-picked by the Allies for a covert Jedburgh unit — parachuted into occupied France with a French resistance liaison, a Tommy gun, and one very simple assignment: Kill Hitler if you get the shot.

So what did Jo do while Frankie was dodging Nazis? She opened a wiener wagon on Hampton Beach — and made history.

She Had Clout with the Combat Boots

Thanks to Frankie's deep-in-the-shadows military connections, Jo had an unusual pass across all branches:

• The Air Corps dubbed her "The Final Approach."
• The Navy called her "Starboard Snack."
• The Army mostly just stood in line and hoped to get noticed.
• And the Marines? They showed up early, shirtless, overconfident, and sweaty — and left quieter, hungrier, and strangely respectful.

She was invited to Portsmouth ship launches, Fort Devens mess halls, and even the Boston Garden USO tour stop in '44. She turned down multiple pin-up calendars — opting instead for one-off photos mailed to troops with the note:

"Come home hungry."