MARADMINS : 083/14
R 262105Z FEB 14
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 083/14
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/DOD OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH//
POC/C. J. WOERPEL/CPL/UNIT:CMC (MPE)/-/TEL:(703) 784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/ 1. DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE CELEBRATE WOMEN'S HISTORY AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR GREAT NATION. THIS YEAR IS THE 34TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT. PRESIDENT JIMMY 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 AND DESIGNATED THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH AS NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. THE OVERARCHING THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "CELEBRATING WOMEN OF CHARACTER, COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT."
2. THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE OF WOMEN IN THE MARINE CORPS BEGAN IN AUGUST 1918 WHEN THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY GAVE OFFICIAL APPROVAL FOR WOMENT TO ENROLL FOR CLERICAL DUTY IN THE MARINE CORPS. AS A RESULT, OPHA MAE JOHNSON OFFICIALLY BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN MARINE. THE MARINE CORPS WOMEN'S RESERVE WAS ESTABLISHED IN FEBRUARY 1943. IN 1950, THE WOMEN RESERVES WERE MOBILIZED FOR THE KOREAN WAR DURING WHICH 2,787 WOMEN SERVED PROUDLY. POST 1950, FEMALE MARINES CONTINUE TO MAKE STRIDES. BERTHA PETERS BILLEB WAS THE FIRST FEMALE TO BE PROMOTED TO SERGEANT MAJOR IN 1961. COLONEL MARGARET A. BREWER EARNED A STAR TO BECOME THE FIRST FEMALE MARINE GENERAL OFFICER IN 1978. IN 1996, MAJOR GENERAL CAROL MUTTER BECAME THE FIRST FEMALE IN THE HISTORY OF THE ARMED SERVICES TO WEAR THREE STARS AS A LIEUTENANT GENERAL. THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE FIRST FEMALE MARINES ATTENDED MARINE COMBAT TRAINING.
3. ON 21 NOVEMBER 2013, WOMEN AGAIN BROKE NEW GROUND, WHEN PFCS KATIE GORZ, JULIA CARROLL, AND CHRISTINA FUENTES MONTENEGRO BECAME THE FIRST ENTRY-LEVEL ENLISTED WOMEN TO COMPLETE INFANTRY TRAINING IN CAMP GEIGER, NORTH CAROLINA. IT IS CLEAR THAT HISTORY CONTINUES TO BE WRITTEN AS FEMALE MARINES AND FEMALE CIVILIAN MARINES STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE AND PAVE NEW ROADS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
4. 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.
5. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY (SES) MR. M. F. APPLEGATE, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER PLANS AND POLICY DIVISION.//