R 291940Z JAN 10
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 057/10
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/DOD OBSERVANCE OF WOMENS HISTORY MONTH//
POC/C. M. NELSON/CAPT/UNIT:CMC (MPE)/-/TEL:(703) 784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THIS YEAR, MARCH WILL ONCE AGAIN MARK THE BEGINNING OF A MONTH DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY AND WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR GREAT NATION.  2010 WILL BE THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT.  PRESIDENT CARTER ISSUED A PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION DECLARING THE WEEK OF MARCH 8, 1980 AS THE FIRST NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY WEEK AND IN 1987 CONGRESS EXPANDED THE OBSERVANCE INTO A MONTH RESULTING IN MARCH BEING NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.  THE OVERARCHING THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "WRITING WOMEN BACK INTO HISTORY."
2.  A SIGNIFICANT CHAPTER IN MARINE CORPS HISTORY BEGAN WHEN OPHA MAE JOHNSON JOINED THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE IN AUGUST 1918.  DURING WORLD WAR II, ANOTHER GENERATION OF WOMEN WERE CALLED TO "FREE A MAN TO FIGHT," AND OVER 19,000 WOMEN JOINED THE MARINE CORPS.  SOME OF THESE WOMEN WERE RETAINED AND BECAME REGULAR MARINES AS A RESULT OF THE WOMEN'S ARMED FORCES INTEGRATION ACT OF 1948.  JUST TWELVE YEARS LATER, THE FIRST WOMAN ACHIEVED THE RANK OF E-9 WHEN GERALDINE MORAN WAS PROMOTED TO MASTER GUNNERY SERGEANT IN 1960.  BERTHA PETERS WAS APPOINTED AS THE FIRST SERGEANT MAJOR OF WOMEN MARINES THE VERY NEXT YEAR.  IN 1967, THE FIRST FEMALE MARINES WERE ASSIGNED TO A WAR-TORN COUNTRY WHEN THEY RECEIVED ORDERS TO VIETNAM.  SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS OF MARINES HAVE SEEN THE FIRST FEMALE GENERAL OFFICER, THE FIRST FEMALE PILOT, AND INCREASING ROLES IN COMBAT ZONES TO INCLUDE THE LIONESS PROGRAM IN OPERATIONS IN IRAQ.
3.  TODAY, OVER 13,100 FEMALE MARINES SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY AND MORE THAN 5,100 FEMALE MARINES SERVE IN THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE.  SINCE 2003 CLOSE TO ELEVEN THOUSAND FEMALE MARINES HAVE DEPLOYED AT LEAST ONCE IN SUPPORT OF THE WAR ON TERRORISM AND OF THESE FEMALE MARINES, SEVEN HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.
4.  WOMEN IN THE MARINE CORPS HAVE ANSWERED MANY CALLS TO SERVE AND PROTECT THEIR BELOVED COUNTRY.  AS OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE INCREASED, EACH SUBSEQUENT GENERATION OF FEMALE MARINES AND FEMALE CIVILIAN MARINES HAVE STEPPED UP TO THE CHALLENGE AND PAVED NEW ROADS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.  SINCE THE FIRST WOMAN DONNED A MARINE CORPS UNIFORM, FEMALE MARINES AND THEIR CIVILIAN COUNTERPARTS HAVE ENRICHED OUR CORPS' HISTORY AND ENHANCED OUR COMBAT CAPABILITY. FROM "FREEING A MAN TO FIGHT," TO STANDING BESIDE THEIR BROTHERS IN ARMS IN IRAQ AND AFGANISTAN TODAY, WOMEN ACROSS THE MARINE CORPS CONTINUE TO SERVE THEIR NATION WITH COURAGE, HONOR, AND PRIDE.
5.  COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE TIME TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN HAVE MADE TO OUR CORPS. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND TO DEVELOP LOCAL THEMES FOR USE AT THEIR COMMANDS.
6.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//