By Laurie Humphrey

January 18, 2008, 12:00AM

Lyla Spelbring leads a relatively calm life these days, promoting genealogy studies in Livingston County and advancing the causes of women's military groups nationwide.

But that's not always been the case.

The Genoa Township woman has the unusual distinction of serving in two branches of the military through three wars, spending 27 years in the Marine Corps and U.S. Army before retiring at the rank of colonel. Today, she enjoys sharing her military history with local students.

JAMIE CHARBENEAU-PISELLA, THE LIVINGSTON COMMUNITY NEWSRetired Col. Lyla Spelbring, 85, shows some of the items she brings to classroom discussions meant to bring alive junior high school lessons about World War II. She is part of a local group of veterans who share their experiences with students to give them a truer sense of life during military conflict.

"I'm part of a group that goes into the schools," said the self-described people person. Typically addressing junior high students during their World War II curriculum, Spelbring said the most commonly fielded question is "Did you ever shoot somebody?" The answer is no; Spelbring never once carried a gun in her long military career.

Spelbring's rank was "relatively unusual" for a woman of that time, according to local historian George Winegar. He appreciates not only her service to the country, but her willingness to share her stories with students who may not otherwise know a female veteran.

"From the standpoint of military experience, she can add the female side of it. She provides that added dimension that kids don't get when men come and talk," Winegar said.

Spelbring, 85, served in the military during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Read more at blog.mlive.com