R 022100Z MAR 15
MARADMIN 094/15
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP/MPE//
SUBJ/2015 WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE//
POC/L. J. GADEA/SGT/UNIT: MPE/-/TEL: (703)784-9371/TEL: DSN 278-9371//
TEL: COMM (703)784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  MARCH IS THE ANNUAL OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR GREAT NATION. THIS YEAR, WILL BE THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT. PRESIDENT CARTER ISSUED A PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION DECLARING THE WEEK OF 8 MARCH 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 ALL-EMBRACING THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "WEAVING THE STORIES OF WOMEN’S LIVES."
2.  FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR NATION’S HISTORY, WOMEN HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE MILITARY. THROUGHOUT THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, THE WAR OF 1812, THE CIVIL WAR, THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR, WWI AND WWII, AND THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM, WOMEN WERE PART OF MISSION SUCCESS AND PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE WAR’S EFFORTS. SINCE THEN, THERE HAS BEEN A “FIRSTS” OF MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY FEMALE MARINES. 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 WAS 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. IN 1960, THE FIRST WOMAN ACHIEVED THE RANK OF E-9 WHEN GERALDINE MORAN WAS PROMOTED TO MASTER GUNNERY SERGEANT. 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 AND AFGHANISTAN.
3.  IT IS VITAL TO PAY THE PROPER OBSERVANCE AND RECOGNITION TO OUR FEMALE MARINES, PAST AND PRESENT. NOTING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ADVOCATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INCLUSIVE FIGHTING FORCE WILL LAUNCH OUR MILITARY TOWARDS A MORE COHESIVE AND EFFECTIVE INSTITUTION, READY TO DEFEND OUR NATION.
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.//