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Commemorative Service Held To Honor Women Marines
(March 28, 2010) |
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| | CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (MCN - 3/24/2010) — During the War of 1812 Lucy Brewer became
the first woman to unofficially serve in the Marine Corps. Disguised as a man,
she was able to serve on the Marine detachment aboard the USS Constitution. |
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| Master Gunnery Sgt. Sharon Garcia (far left), the shipping staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge with Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd Marine Logistics Group; Sgt. Maj. Lisa Nilsson (middle), the 2nd Supply Battalion sergeant major; and Sgt. Kelley Bentley (right), a traffic management specialist with CLR-25, listen to a speech delivered by Lt. Col. Susan Seaman, the commanding officer of Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, during a women's appreciation service held in observance of Women's History Month, aboard Camp Lejuene, N.C., March 22, 2010. The three women pictured spoke at the service, sharing their experiences about being female Marines. |
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More than a century later on August 12, 1918, the secretary
of the Navy granted authority to enroll women for clerical
duty in the Marine Corps Reserves. The very next day Opha M.
Johnson enlisted and officially became the first woman to
serve as a Marine.
Today, women don't have to dress up as men to serve in the
Corps and are able to occupy fill all non-combat arms
military occupation specialties.
In honor of how far America's 9-1-1 force in readiness has
come, a service was held as a tribute to women Marines at
the French Creek Chapel aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., in
observance of Women's History Month, March 22.
During the service, Lt. Col. Susan Seaman, the commanding
officer of Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps
Base Camp Lejeune, along with three other female Marines,
shared their stories and experiences as they reflected on
their time in the service.
“Women's History Month is not a time of celebration,” Seaman
said. “It is a time to spread the knowledge of the history
of female Marines in the Marine Corps.”
In each of the female Marines' reflections they shared their
motives for joining, hardships they endured, and ways they
overcame obstacles created simply because of their gender.
“When I first came into the Corps, I was sent to Japan where
females lived in a squad bay behind a barbed-wire fence,
with a red line painted on the ground that read ‘no males
beyond this point',” said Sgt. Maj. Lisa Nilsson, the
sergeant major of 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics
Group. “That was my first impression of the Marine Corps and
boy have we come a long way.”
Nilsson continued telling the audience, filled with mostly
female Marines, about her experiences and how she coped with
difficult times.
“The days that I am struggling, I always look down at my
left breast pocket and see that it says U.S. Marine, not
male and not female,” said Nilsson. “My advice to any female
Marine is to never forget who you are. It's nice to go home
and let your hair down and be a woman, but when you put that
uniform on, you are a Marine.”
The motivational messages were directed towards the female
Marines who filled the pews of the church that morning. Each
of them left with smiles on their faces and pride in their
eyes, enlightened of what it means to be a female serving in
today's Marine Corps.
“As you look now on what women Marines have done you see
drastic changes,” said Col. Craig Crenshaw, the commanding
officer of CLR-25. “Women Marines have been part of combat
deployments and have served right alongside their male
counterparts. Women Marines have played a huge role in the
success of our Corps.” | |
Article and photo by USMC LCpl. Melissa Latty
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Copyright 2010
Reprinted from
Marine Corps News
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