British woman remembers her part in D-Day

(CBS, KYMA/KECY) - A 99-year-old British woman, who was so determined to help in her country fight in World War II that she lied to join the service, is on her way to Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

In 1943, Dorothea Barron was just 18-years-old when she stuffed cardboard into her shoes to make her appear tall enough to serve in the women's Royal Naval Service, or the "Wrens."

Barron was shorter than the five-foot-three-inch height required to join the military. She said the shoe trick, plus piling her hair into a bun and sheer determination is what got her admitted.

Nicknamed "Pixie," Barron was a signaller, who watched over the troops training for the invasion of Normandy from an observation tower in Scotland.

After the war, Barron says she never felt women received the proper credit for their roles in the allied victory, but says she'll be remembering her service to her country and the men with whom she served when she attends D-Day ceremonies on Thursday.

Despite her advanced age and macular degeneration, Barron says she feels pretty good. She practices yoga and still teaches once a week.