they rarely supen'ised men. Society

had long since deemed certain jobs too

dirty, too dangerous, too strenuous, or

for unspecified reasons, just not suitable for women.

In this social climate, the Marine

Corps set out to select, train, classify, and assign 18,000 newly recruited civilian women at the rate of more

than 1,000 a month, and have them

on the job and making a contribution in the shortest time possible.

That it was done as magnificently as

it was is a tribute both to the women who made it happen and to the

men who allowed it to happen.

Colonel Streeter's philosophy was

'1 . . anything except heavy lifting and

combat. They could try:'

One of the first WR officers, Captain Cornelia Williams, with a doctoral degree in psychology from the

University of Minnesota and wide

experience as a college administrator

Regiment at Camp Lejeune in August 1944.

21

Pencil sketch ly Marion A. Allen in Marine Corps Art Collection

Photo courtesy of Sarah Thornton

Women drivers and mechanics comprised the Motor Transport Section at Parris Island in 1944.

Women Marines worked in the office of the Sergeant Major of the Schools Training
commissioned six years kiter fri the first

in student personnel work, reported

to Headquarters on 19 February 1943

for duty in the Classification Division, Detail Branch. Her task seemed

simple enough: come up with a plan

that balanced the new Marines' skills

and abilities against the needs of the

Marine Corps. Initially, Marines

studied the systems used by the

WACs and the WAVES, but in the

end, the answer was found closer to

home and the preferred plan was

based directly on the system already

set up for male Marines.

On 1 January 1944, the original arrangement which involved three

women officers working in various

divisions of the Detail Branch was

changed, and a separate Women's

Reserve Section of the Detail Branch

was organized. Beyond analyzing

jobs and translating the duties into

military occupational titles and compiling a directory of training courses,

its mission was to design the Women's Reserve Qualification Card

postwar Women's Officer Training Class.

(NAVMC-940 C), write appropriate

instructions for maintaining it, select

classification tests to be given all

Women Reservists, plan for selection

and training of women classification

specialists, and train people in the

field in the basics of the classification

process.

For the most part, there was little

difference in the methods and procedures used to classify officers and enlisted women: the same tests were

used for both. In the case of officers,

however, closer attention was paid to

assessing personality traits and probability of success as leaders and supervisors. While male officers could

reasonably expect to be assigned at

the bottom rung of an organization,

working under the watchful eye and

care of experienced senior officers

and non-commissioned officers,

women officers had neither senior

role models nor seasoned non-corns

to guide them. It was a sink-or-swim

situation where they faced the

22

prospect of teaching and supervising

women as green as themselves.

At first, the basic test battery chosen included the Army standardized

tests to assess general learning,

mechanical, and clerical ability. From

September 1943 through May 1944,

the Army Radio Operators Aptitude

Test was given to all enlisted women.

In June, a test of vocational and job

interests was added, and finally in

December 1944, when the decision

was made to send selected women

Marine volunteers to Hawaii, personality and adjustment tests were

added.

Once again, just as had happened

in the early phases of training, because this was a start-up operation

with no women experienced in classification, male Marines ran the system until SNRs were qualified to take

over. With classes of about 500 boots

each arriving at the recruit depot every two weeks, the challenge of

matching the women to critical job

openings was ambitious enough, but

the novelty of using females to fill

military titles caused more than a few

miscues.

It just wasn't the same as it was

with the men who were transferred

from boot camp to their first duty

station in large troop drafts, based on

the theory that most military skills

had to be learned by all. In contrast,

women were transferred with their

names linked to identified job vacancies because many possessed unique

skills. The idea was sound, but its

success depended upon a cooperative

adjutant at the receiving station assigning the women as planned. If, for

example, a woman was classified as

a telephone operator and arrived at

a post only to be assigned by the C-i

as a soda jerk in the post exchange,

the process broke down.

The Marine recruiting brochures

in 1943 promised women openings in

34 job assignments: the shortsightedness of the planners can be seen in

the final statistics recording women

in more than 200.

Department of Defense Phoeo (USMC) 6265

Cpl Essie Lucas and PFC Betty 1. Ayers, graduates of Motor Transport School,

replace a reconditioned engine at Camp Lejeune's post garage in 1943. Lucas was
Miscalculations led to bothersome

reassignments when newly identified,

high-priority jobs had to be filled

but qualified women were no longer

available. For example, the first calls

for IBM tabulating machine operators, teletypewriter operators, sewing

machine operators, draftsmen, utility

repairmen, and even telephone operators came only after many women

with this kind of civilian training and

experience had been assigned to other

duties.

Expensive errors in judgment were

made because no one knew exactly

how many women were needed and

Marines underestimated their skills

and efficiency. Marines requested far

too many women, especially for

office work at Headquarters, because

they thought that half again as many

women were needed to replace a

given number of men. For clerical

work, the reverse was generally true.

Worse, in the time-honored tradition

of the Corps, Marines often asked for

twice as many women as were needed, expecting to receive half of what

was requested.

Adding to the confusion, many

men did not understand the duties involved in specific job titles, and peopie who could not dictate requested

stenographers, and people needing

file clerks asked for clerk typists. In

the end, large numbers of women

Marines felt let down and were bored

by monotonous assignments that

took only a fraction of their time and

made scant demands on their skills.

Colonel Streeter understood their

frustration and made it a habit to

visit women Marines in the field

often to give regular pep talks on the

vital importance of every job to the

overall war effort.

Contradicting the adage that there

is never too much of a good thing,

the exceptionally high caliber of the

women recruited in the early phases

of the war resulted in too many underemployed WRs. In Colonel Streeter's opinion:

In test scores, educational level, civilian experience, and special skills, these women, as a

group, were well above "average:' Only a few of the jobs

open to them in the Marine

Corps were "above average" in

responsibility and demands for

skill, a great majority of the

jobs were quite ordinary, and

many more were actually extremely simple. Yet, somebody

had to do these simple jobs.

There were not enough women

sufficiently lacking in intelligence, clerical abilit)c education

and skill to be happy in these

simple jobs. So, Women Reservists capable of more skilled

work had to be misassigned —

especially at first and especially at Headquarters Marine

Corps.

One woman who was not bored

with her job in Washington was

Audrey Bennington', who summarized her tour from 23 March 1943

to 25 October 1945 and declared it

one of the most important times of

her life:

May 1st 1943 'assigned to

Headquarters Colonel Streeter's

section, working with Colonel

Cecil Rhoads, and Major

Charlotte Cower. February

1944, first Woman Marine —

oldest Marine Barracks, 8th &

Eye Streets, Washington, secreCpl Ellen V Russell freed a Marine to fight when she served as a butcher in the

post commissary at the Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia, during the war.

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 25224

23
tary to the CO and his officers.

Every 10 days taken to then

Shangri La (Camp David now)

to do ration records. That post

was where the action was, believe me. I wish I were capable

of writing a book—what

material I have.

With time, the dilemma of too

many, overqualified women resolved

itself because as the war progressed

there was ample work for everyone,

male supervisors eventually gained

confidence in the women and were

more willing to release the men they

had held back to train them, and the

later recruit classes had fewer exceptionally skilled enlistees.

More than half of all Women

Reservists were engaged in clerical

work—about the same percentage as

in civilian life. But new ground was

broken as women went to work as

radio operators, photographers,

parachute riggers, motor transport

drivers, aerial gunnery instructors,

cooks, bakers, Link trainer instructors, control tower operators, motion

picture technicians, automotive

mechanics, teletype operators, cryptographers, laundry managers, post

exchange salespersons and managers,

auditors, audio-visual librarians, assembly and repair mechanics, metalsmiths, weather observers, artists,

aerial photographers, photograph

analysts, chemists, postal clerks, musicians, statisticians, stewardesses,

and writers.

In a 1979 interview, Colonel

Streeter confided she was greatly

amused that WRs were in "secret and

confidential files" because" ... they

always claim that women can't keep

a confidence, you know:' One WR second lieutenant assigned to secret and

confidential files presumably had little trouble with the security

clearance — Eugenia D. Lejeune, the

youngest daughter of Major General Commandant John A. Lejeune.

The most open-minded military

units throughout the war and after

were the aviation components of all

the services. Presumably because

they were relative pioneers themselves, aviation leaders were less

tradition-bound, and they enthusiastically asked for large numbers

of women and were willing to assign

them to technical fields. Marines

were no exception and right away

asked for 9,100. Eventually, nearly

one-third of the Women Reservists

served in aviation at Marine Corps

24

Air Stations (MCAS) at Cherry

Point, Edenton, Santa Barbara, El

Toro, Parris Island, Mojave, El Centro, Quantico, Ewa, and at the Marine Corps Aviation Depot (MCAD)

in Miramar.

Because of the large number of

women posted to air commands,

Aviation Women's Reserve Squadrons were formed: Number 1 at

Mojave; Number 2 at Santa Barbara;

Number 3 at El Centro; Numbers 4

and 5 at Miramar; Numbers 6-10 at

El Toro; Number 11 at Parris Island;

Number 12 at Ewa; Numbers 15-20

at Cherry Point; and Number 21 at

Quantico.

World War 11 changed for all time

the notion of proper women's work.

In the Armed Forces as in civilian life,

necessity caused the rules to be rewritten and while an effort was made

to fit the women into jobs related to

their former occupations, there was,

by necessity, an openness to new

ideas. Fewer Marine women than

civilians were used as stenographers

and general clerks, but more were assigned as typists; fewer were used as

office machine operators, but far

more were assigned to supply and supervisory work. Fewer women Marines were considered professionals

in the Corps, but this was due to the

large number of school teachers who

enlisted but could not be used as instructors.

Fewer women were used in skilled

trades than came from these jobs in

civilian life, but more women

proportionately were used in

mechanical jobs than came from

these jobs as civilians—especially in

aviation.

In 1945, looking towards the future, Colonel Streeter suggested that

if women were ever again to be enlisted into the Marine Corps, the

whole process of classification and

assignment could be greatly improved if all jobs were categorized

into four classes:

Department of Defense Photo CUSMC) 8927

Crew Chief TSgt Selma 'Rusty" Olson, standing below the propeller, directs a WR

repair crew servicing a North American Mitchell B-25 bomber at Cherry Point in

March 1945. In the war, 40 percent of the women Marines held jobs in aviation.
Class I jobs in which women

are better, more efficient than

men.

Class II jobs in which women are as good as men, i.e., they

can or did replace men on a

one-to-one basis.

Class III jobs in which women are not as good as men, but

it is possible to use them if the

need is great.

Class IV jobs in which women cannot or should not be used

at all.

Until February 1944, the Women's

Reserve Section, Officer Procurement Division, a entity within the

Division of Reserve, handled most

administrative matters concerning

Women Reservists. Then, as a result

of a reorganization at Headquarters,

all matters involving recruiting,

uniforming, recreation and welfare,

plans and training were transferred

to the appropriate departments and

divisions, stripping the Women's

Reserve Section of much of its work.

After that, its principal duties were:

to form and move basic training

classes to the recruit depot, to make

appropriate selections for officer candidate school, to process resignations

and separations of MCWR officers,

and to maintain the records and handle correspondence concerning the

above matters.

In essence, the MCWR as an organization was always more a perception than reality. Generally, the

women were regarded as "extra" Ma25

rines to be managed by the longestablished divisions that oversaw

the administration of the men. Furthermore, when Women Reservists

were assigned to posts and stations,

they reported to the commanding

officer of their unit, who was subordinate to the commanding officer of

the post, and who, in turn, was

responsible to the Commandant of

the Marine Corps. The MCWR

Director was a staff officer not in the

chain of command, and, in truth, she

had nothing to "direct."

There was never any question that

there had to be an MCWR Director,

especially to gain the public's favor,

but her authority was an illusion.

She had a great deal of influence but
could not take independent action.

The Director was clearly responsible

for the tone of the Women's Reserve

and as Marines gradually gained confidence in her judgement, they paid

more attention to her suggestions.

At the outset, in an unusual move,

Major Streeter was assigned a runThe WRs parade at Camp Lejeune in 1944

fling mate—the very patient Major

Rhoads who sat beside her for six

months and taught her the Marine

Corps way. As it turned out, this was

a great advantage both for the Director and for the MCWR. Captain

McAfee, first WAVE Director, once

remarked that she had not had a runPhoto courtesy of Mary R. Rich

fling mate, and since she came into

the Navy totally inexperienced in

military custom, she made some unfortunate mistakes which stirred up

a certain resentment against her.

Grateful for Major Rhoads' guidance,

but somewhat embarrassed that after six months on the job, she was the

Henderson Hall women Marines presented a stage production,

"Manhattan Scene," in which they could once again don formal civilian attire in 1945. From left are: Sgt Shirley Heyser;

Sgt Margaret Michalik; Sgt Myrtle Douglas; Cpl Emma

Guidry; PFC Angeline Porfilio; Sgt Vivian Coss; Cpl Bernice

Peart; Sgt Mary Thompson; and Cpl Mary Kerkhoff.

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 13064

26
Marine Corps Art Collection

Artist Marion A. Allen drew this sketch of Barracks 57 in the living quarters "homier" with an abundance of photographs,

WR area at Camp Lejeune in 1944. The women made their stuffed animals, and other mementos of their civilian lives.

Members of the 2d Headquarters Battalion at Henderson Hall tor of Personnel at Headquarters, Marine Corps. With Gen

pass in review for BGen Littleton W T Wailer, Jr., the Direc- Weller is Maj Martrese R. Ferguson, battalion commander.

DeparLment of Defense Photo (USMC) 13470

27
Photo courtesy of Sarah Thornton

Cpl June Richardson models a "new" uniform at a Parris Island fa5hion show.

only woman director with a mentor

at her elbow, Major Streeter sent a

memo to Colonel Wailer asking for

more autonomy. Officers at every

level in the chain of command recommended disapproval, but Major

Streeter eventually prevailed by acknowledging the wisdom of their decision to give her a running

mate — which she admitted kept her

from falling flat on her face — and by

making the points that one can't stay

in leading reins forever, it would be

more dignified if she would be allowed to take over alone, and the

Marine Corps wasn't getting its

money out of her.

So, on 29 October 1943, she became a Special Assistant to the Director of Personnel to advise him on

matters of policy. A month later on

22 November, the law amended, she

was promoted to lieutenant colonel

and then, on 1 February 1944, to

colonel. Still, she had no authority

of her own, never signed official letters except acknowledgements of

monthly reports, and was expected

not to interfere unless the situation

involved blatant disregard of approved policies. Even then, she merely apprised the Director of Personnel

of problems and perhaps offered suggestions, but he took such action as

he saw fit.

It was quite a disappointment to

Colonel Streeter when she recognized, quite by chance, the limits of

her position. Once, looking for sympathy, she went to Colonel Wailer

and said, "You know, Colonel, it's a

little hard on me. I've got so much

responsibility and no authority."

She was taken back by his quick

response, "Colonel Streeter, you have

no responsibility either." It served her

very well that no one else — male or

female—was ever quite sure just how

much authority she did have.

The concept that WRs were Marines just like all others, to be administered and managed in the same

manner as the men, was not easily

put into practice. Routine information was transmitted through the established chain oi command, but the

Director needed to know much more

if she held any hope of guiding the

fledgling organization, nourishing

and encouraging the good and putting a stop to the bad. Therefore, at

each station where WRs served, the

senior woman was designated Assistant for the Womens' Reserve and she

was charged with keeping the post

commander informed of all matters

pertaining to the women under his

command.

Perhaps more importantly, she

was expected to keep in close touch

with the MCWR Director, advising

her on the state of health, welfare,

jobs, training, housing, recreation,

morale, and discipline of the women while not violating the chain of

command. Each month, she sent a

written report to Headquarters with

a copy to the post commanding

officer. It contained information on

all aspects of the well-being of the

women, along with comments of

particular interest at the station. Normally, the information was shared

with Colonel Streeter who used it to

supplement her own frequent inspection trips to assess the success or

failure of official policies.

In most cases, men supervised

women Marines on the job, but routine matters of discipline were left to

the women officers. When male

officers had serious problems with

the women at work, they generally

turned to the senior woman on

board. This unusual idea of shared

responsibility was certainly alien to

Marines and caused more than a few

problems, but in most instances it

worked.

Ordinarily, women Marines were

organized into battalions or squadrons with women line officers in

command. If a WR did not perform

her work satisfactorily, or arrived

late, her male work supervisor did

not discipline her but reported the

problem to her commanding officer

At whatever base they were stationed in the States, women Marines had an active

athletic program, as shown by this 1945 MCWR softball team at Parris Island.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Thornton

28
for action. On the other hand, if a

WR requested leave, her commanding officer did not grant it without

first clearing it with the work supervisor. It often happened that unit obligations in the barracks area, such as

mess duty, training, parades, "field

days;' and inspections conflicted with

work schedules, and this created

some animosity between female

commanders and male work supervisors.

There was genuine ambiguity, as

well, about the authority invested in

women officers and NCOs. The stated policy said that it was limited to

the administration of the Women's

Reserve and to be exercised solely

over WRs. Someone had determined

that the relationship of women

officers and noncommissioned

officers to enlisted men was akin to

that of a civilian teacher in a military

school — senior women could give instructions, but matters of discipline

and job performance were to be

referred to the man's commanding

officer.

In time, the Commandant found

it necessary to provide some clarification. "It appears that the services

of officers and non-commissioned

officers of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve are not being realized to

the fullest extent due to some doubt

as to the scope of their authority

he wrote in March 1944. Explaining that the matter had been

considered by the Navy Department

he continued, " ... it is concluded

that it is entirely proper for a woman officer to be assigned to duty

subordinate to a commanding officer

and her directions and orders in the

proper performance of such duty are

the acts of the officer in command,

even though such orders are directed to male personnel:' This simple

statement allowed women to become

adjutants, personnel, and mess

officers.

Out of consideration for the

women — their welfare, morale, and

reputation —geographical assignments were based on several factors

besides Marine Corps personnel

needs. Originally, women were to be

sent only to posts where their services had been requested and then

only if appropriate housing was

available. The November 1942 survey which queried Marine Corps

posts on the number of women they

could use also asked about suitable

quarters.

In the 1940s, "nice girls" seldom

lived away from home or by themselves, and when they did, there was

always a chaperone figure somewhere in the picture. Even in wartime, and even in the midst of such

unusual circumstances as women

serving in the Armed Forces, homage

was paid to the accepted protocol. To

prevent loneliness and avoid unfavorable comments, no fewer than

two Marine women were assigned to

a station or sub-station, enlisted

women could not be assigned to a

post unless there was a woman

officer in the near vicinity, and it was

customary to assign women officers

to units of 25 or more WRs. The ratio was considerably less in the

procurement offices in large cities.

On most posts women Marines

had a commanding officer who

reported to the post commander.

However, there was a new wrinkle in

that the women were an autonomous

entity—proud to run their own outfit, handling general administration,

barracks area maintenance, and mess

halls. The relatively few women Marines stationed in large cities were

given subsistence, a monetary allowance to pay for housing and

meals.

An exception was made iii

Washington, D.C., where a new and

independent post, Henderson Hall,

was built to house the 2,400 WRs stationed there. Officially, it was named

for the first Commandant, General

Archibald Henderson, but understandably it became "Hen Hall:'

When women joined the Marine

29

Corps they elevated the quality of

barracks living up a notch or two.

Stark squadbays were sometimes

softened with pastel paint and stuffed

animals could be found resting on

tightly made bunks. Dressers were

lined up to provide a little privacy,

shower curtains were hung, and

doors closed off toilet stalls. Day

rooms set aside to entertain dates

were furnished with board games, pianos, and record players and space

was found for cooking appliances,

hair dryers, and sewing machines in

lounges reserved for women only.

Marines didn't rush to embrace the

feminine touches, but after a reasonable period of adjustment, commanding officers were proud to traipse

visitors and dignitaries through the

immaculate WR barracks and mess

halls — clothing hung facing in one

direction, sparkling mirrors, no dust

kittens under the bunks, and glossy

floors buffed to perfection with

Kotex.

As early as November 1942, Headquarters wisely considered a disciplinary plan for the Women's Reserve.

The other services were no help since

the WAACs still served with the

Army but were not part of it and the

Navy had no predetermined policy

except to say they would treat

problems according to principles

generally used for men with

whatever modifications might be

necessary for special instances such

as sex offenses.

Not knowing what to expect and

unwilling to leave it to chance, Marines wisely established discipline

policies for Women Reservists:

1. Distinctions between officers

and enlisted personnel would, in

general, be the same as made between officers and enlisted men of the

regular Marine Corps.

2. Officers would exercise normal

disciplinary functions and MCWR

officers would have similar respon-
sibility when they attained appropriate rank and command.

3. Establishment of brigs or post

prisons for the confinement of women was not contemplated, but confinement to quarters was deemed

appropriate.

4. Exclusive of sentences involving

confinement, punishment would be

awarded as it was for officers and

men of the regular Marine Corps.

5. Trial by court-martial would be

recommended only in serious cases,

particularly when confinement

seemed a possiblity.

6. For offenses not warranting trial, separation from service would be

by the most expeditious means in accordance with policies applicable to

men.

Little time was wasted on female

offenders, and fortunately, there were

relatively few problems. Because of

their communal, intense desire to be

accepted by Marines and approved

by the general public, women Marines were their own severest critics

and peer pressure to walk a tight line

proved very effective. The records

show only 36 enlisted women separated out of the total of 18,000 as a

result of general and summary

courts-martial. When officers

resigned to escape a general courtmartial, their discharge was "under

other than honorable conditions."

Unauthorized absences — usually

less than 10 days —accounted for the

most common infractions; violations

of regulations (uniform, fraternization, etc.) followed. Unlike earlier

policies governing female military

nurses, marriage was a cause for

neither discharge nor punishment,

and pregnancy was considered a

medical rather than disciplinary case.

Much as with the men, punishment included confinement to quarters, loss of pay, reduction in rank,

extra police duties, and in extreme

cases, disciplinary discharges.

However, the severity of punishment

meted out to men and women accused of sex offenses differed

markedly and the female officers

balked at the harsh treatment of WRs

in these instances.

Marines are the acknowledged

masters in matters of discipline and

morale, but there was no history to

help them bridge the gender gap

when the women landed. These

women were not pliant teenagers, but

rather adults, all 20 years old or

older. Some were married, some had

children, and a few had grandchildren. Since it was a time when females were expected to adhere to

near-Victorian standards, military

leaders assumed a paternalistic attitude and the inevitable occurred—

grown, mature women were often

treated like school girls. The senior

women officers, many with roots in

academia, were often more guilty

than the men.

A galling but unchallenged rule

was that women on board a base, unlike men of equal rank, could not

have an automobile. It added to the

allure of assignment to the motor

pool that the drivers of trucks, jeeps,

and buses were more mobile than

their sisters.

Luckily, Colonel Streeter was able

to balance high standards of behavior

with an earthy understanding of human nature and she seemed to know

just when to tighten the reins and

when to turn her head. She was pragmatic about discreet instances of

fraternization and she recognized

that when dealing with men and

women, some things could not be

strictly regulated. She was a gifted

leader who subscribed to the theory

that ". . . the most able commanders,

be they men or women, are those

who take care of their people and

who keep them out of trouble by anticipating the problems that may confront them."

She expected women officers,

regardless of their assignment, to

Twin sisters Irene and Made! ene Spencer toured New England with the War Bond

drive show, "Direct Hit," which starred boxing champion Jack Dempsey, who was

a Coast Guard officer, cowboy star Gene Autry, and comedian Frank Fontaine.

Photo courtesy of Irene and MadeTene Spencer

30
share responsibility for the morale

and welfare of enlisted women and

this policy was sacred until separate

women's units were abolished in the

1970s. Colonel Streeter was rightfully

proud that the Women's Reserve organized a recreation and education

service long before the Special Services Division was formed, and she

credited it with the high morale of the

women Marines. Yet, in the end, it

was her own good sense, concern for

her women, pride in the Marine

Corps, and determination that sustained the wartime WRs.

Since the Women's Army Corps

began as an auxiliary, it was less

strictly regulated than the other

women's services. Consequently,

WACs served in all theaters of war

including the Southwest Pacific Area,

the Southeast Asia Command, the

China-Burma-India Theater, the China Theater, and the Middle East

Theater, as well as in Europe, Africa, Hawaii, Alaska, New Caledonia,

Puerto Rico, and sevezl smaller sites.

While some members of Congress,

uncomfortable about American

women so close to combat, argued

for restrictions, there were military

men like Marine Lieutenant General

Holland M. Smith who insisted that

women Marines could be used at

Pearl Harbor to release men for combat. His view was shared by Navy

Secretary James V. Forrestal, who

told Congress that an estimated 5,000

naval servicewomen were needed in

Hawaii. The outcome was new legislation, Public Law 441, 78th Congress, signed on 27 September 1944

which amended Section 504, Public

Law 689, 77th Congress, 30 July 1942

by providing that:

Members of the Women's

Reserve shall not be assigned to

duty on board vessels of the

Navy or in aircraft while such

aircraft are engaged in combat

missions, and shall not be assigned to duty outside the

American Area and the Territories of Hawaii and Alaska, and

may be assigned to duty outside

31

the continental United States

only upon their prior request.

Colonel Streeter, anticipating the

new policy, was concerned about

choosing mature, stable women for

duty outside the continental United

States. So, she went to see WAC

Director Colonel Hobby, and said,

"Look, Oveta, what did you find was

the best way of selecting your people to go overseas?" By her own admission, going straight to Colonel

Hobby was '1 . . not exactly according to Hoyle," but ". . . it was certainly

sensible and nobody fussed about it"

Colonel Hobby offered simple advice: "A person who's had a good

record in this country is likely to have

a good record abroad, and a person

whds had disciplinary problems in

this country or whose health wasn't

good, we wouldn't send abroad.

Sometimes you sent more mature

ones than the newest enlistees."

With this in mind, the Marine

Corps laid out the criteria for selecting volunteers for duty in Hawaii:

satisfactory record for a period of six

Following the devastation visited upon the carrier Franklin in

operations off Japan, as seen in the picture held by these WornPhoto courtesy of Evelyn Wailman Gins

en Marines, they were sent on a bond tour in 1945, which

took them to Dallas, Texas, where this picture was taken.
months military service subsequent

to completion of recruit or specialist

training; motivation, the desire to do

a good job, rather than excitement or

hope of being near someone they

cared about; good health; stable personality; sufficient skill to fill one

of the billets for which Women

Reservisits had been requested; and

age. Not having been a significant

factor for success in the WACs, age

was not specified, but since the minimum tour was to be two years with

little hope for leave, the health and

status of dependents and close family

members was considered.

This settled, in October 1944,

Colonel Streeter and Major Marion

B. Dryden flew to Hawaii to prepare

for the arrival of the women and

most of all to inspect the proposed

living arrangements. Major Dryden,

the senior woman officer serving in

aviation, accompanied the Director

because half the women were to be

stationed at the Marine Corps Air

Station, Ewa.

There was no shortage of volunteers and on 2 December an advance

party of four officers—Major Marion Wing, commanding officer; First

Lieutenant Dorothy C. McGinnis

adjutant; First Lieutenant Ruby V.

Bishop, battalion quartermaster; and

Second Lieutenant Pearl M. Martin,

recreation officer— flew to Hawaii to

make preliminary arrangements at

Pearl Harbor. Not long after, they

were followed by the advance party

for Ewa, Captain Helen N. Crean,

commanding officer; First Lieutenant

Caroline 1. Ransom, post exchange

officer; Second Lieutenant Bertha K.

Ballard, mess officer, along with Second Lieutenant Constance M. Berkolz, mess officer for Pearl Harbor.

Meanwhile, a staging area was established at the Marine Corps Base,

San Diego, where the women underwent a short but intense physical conditioning course that included

strapping on a 10-pound pack to

practice ascending and decending cargo nets and jumping into the water

Photo courtesy of Marine Corps Gazette

Col Ruth Cheney Streeter, Director of Women Reserves, and Maj Martrese Ferguson, commanding officer of the WRs at Henderson Hall, review a parade in October 1944 during a conference of senior WR officers at Headquarters. Marine Corps.

In early 1945, first Women Reserves to be deployed overseas embarked for Hawaii,

carrying haversacks with blanket rolls. Upon arrival they were greeted with acclaim.

Photo courtesy of Mary R. Rich

32
from shipboard. In the classroom,

they learned about the people of

Hawaii, how to recognize Allied insignia, shipboard procedures, and the

importance of safeguarding military

information.

On 25 January 1945, with Captain

Mama V. Brady, officer-in-charge,

the first contingent of five WR

officers and 160 enlisted women,

with blanket rolls on their backs,

marched up the gangplank of the

5.5. Matsonia to sail from San Francisco to Hawaii. Their shipmates

were a mixed lot of male Marines,

sailors, WAVES, military wives, and

ex-POWs, and because of the lopsided ratio of men to women, the WRs

were restricted to a few crowded

spaces on board ship.

Two days out to sea, they changed

to summer service uniform, and on

28 January, they disembarked in

Honolulu as the Pearl Harbor Marine Barracks Band played "The Marine's Hymn;' the "March of the

Women Marines;' and 'Aloha O&'

The WAVES went ashore first—

dressed in their best uniform. Then

came the iNRs — astonished that their

no-nonsense appearance in dungarees, boondockers, and overseas

caps seemed to please the crowd of

curious Marines who had gathered

to look them over and welcome them

to Hawaii.

The majority was quartered in barracks recently vacated by the Seabees

at the Moanalua Ridge Area adjacent

to the Marine Corps Sixth Base

Depot and Camp Catlin. The large,

wooden, airy barracks were already

very comfortable, but needed

modifications for female occupants,

so a small number of Seabees remained behind to do some reconditioning. Major Wing, the commanding officer, '1 . . had a fine way of

treating men" according to Colonel

Streeter.

No Seabee could pay for a

coke. As many cokes a day as

he wanted and he couldn't pay

for them. We got more work

out of those Seabees than you

could ever imagine.

In Hawaii, the women worked

much the same as in the States, with

most assigned to clerical jobs. More

than a third of the women at Ewa

33

came from the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, and lost no time

before picking up their tools and

working on the planes.

At Pearl Harbor, the WRs ran the

motor transport section, serving

nearly 16,000 persons a month.

Scheduled around the clock and with

a perfect safety record, they maneuvered the mountainous roads of

Hawaii in liberty buses, jeeps, and all

types of trucks carrying mail, people, ammunition, and garbage. Marines easily became accustomed to the

sight of women drivers, but never

quite got used to grease-covered female mechanics working under the

hood or chassis of two-and-a-halfton trucks.

The Deputy Commander, Headquarters, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific,

gave the WRs high marks for their efficiency, attitude, and enthusiasm,

and reported: 'The work of Women's

Reserve personnel trained in Marine

Corps Specialist Schools has measured up to the standard of performance required of men in specialists' assignments, such as Quartermaster Supply Men, Radio Operators, Radio Repairmen, Financial

Clerks, Drivers, and Mechanics:'

He went on, however, to criticize

the typical women's command structure and recommended that, in the

future, the administration of the

Women's Reserve be handled by the

unit to which the women are attached for duty. It was a widespread

complaint, already voiced by Colonel

Streeter and destined to be repeated

by Marines—men and women—for

nearly 30 years until the all-female

units were finally disbanded in the

mid-1970s.

Just before she left the Corps,

Colonel Streeter expressed some

reservation about the wisdom of

sending WRs to Hawaii — despite

their substantial contribution. After

the initial enthusiam, interest waned,

boyfriends were opposed to having

their girls go so far away, especially

where they were vastly outnumPhoto courtesy of Mildred Cornwell Kelliher

Soon after arriving in Hawaii, WRs stand to for evening colors in the women's area.
bered, and parents were put off by

the length of the tour. There was uneasiness among the women caused by

the shifting pronouncements from

Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, about

how many WRs they really needed,

and at the same time, it was becoming clear that victory over Germany

was imminent. Fewer women volunteered for overseas and the Director

was disappointed.

By the summer of 1945, there were

21 officers and 366 enlisted Women

Reservists at Ewa, and 34 officers and

580 enlisted women in the Women's

Reserve Battalion, Marine Garrison

Forces, 14th Naval District. Some

stayed to process the men being

shipped through Hawaii on their way

home for demobilization, but they

were all back in the States by January. Because women serving overseas

accumulated credits for discharge at

the rate of two per month, compared

to one per month for those in the

United States, most were eligible for

discharge soon after V-J Day.

Probably the most colorful of all

the Women's Reserve units was the

Marine Corps Women's Reserve Band

formed in November 1943 by Captain William F. Santelmann and

trained by members of the Marine

Band. Prominent music schools and

colleges were canvassed for candidates and talented enlisted women

were auditioned to find the requisite

43 musicians. Its director was Master

Women Marines participated smartly in the VJ-Day parade

in Honolulu on 11 August 1945. They also took part in other

Photo courtesy of Mildred Cornwell Kelliher

ceremonial events on the island of Ohu while stationed in

the islands, a tour they all found extremely enjoyable.

The WR Band at Parris Island, trained by musicians from the Marine Band in

Washington, DC., played for women's reviews and men's formal guard mounts,

and entertained both on and off of the bases throughout the country during the war.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Thornton

34
Sergeant Charlotte Plummer, formerly director of the Portland, Oregon,

public school system band and member of the city's municipal band.

The Camp Lejeune-based band

gave concerts at Parris Island, Cherry Point, Henderson Hall, and on national radio programs. It played at

guard mounts, inspections, graduations, dances, and occasionally at the

officers club. It may be best remembered for stirring performances at the

weekly Saturday morning MCWR

recruit depot reviews, marching to

the rhythm of its own "March of the

Women Marines;' written especially

for it by Musician First Class Louis

Saverino of the Marine Band.

The band members were deeply

affected by the hospital concerts

where they entertained young Marines on gurneys, in wheelchairs,

propped up in bed, and trying to applaud without hands. They couldn't

help but think of their own husbands, boyfriends, brothers,

brothers-in-law, cousins, classmates,

neighbors, and loved ones. Not a

week passed that a band member

didn't receive bad news from the

front.

Playing for the wounded and

maimed Marines added an aching

poignancy to the graduation parades

where the band stepped off in front

of thousands of men headed for the

Pacific. And, it was equally hard for

members to be indifferent to the

trainloads of arriving recruits, as they

greeted the youths with stirring martial music, already thinking of the

day when they, too, would graduate

and go off to war.

The WR Band played for President

Roosevelt and Admiral Chester W.

Nimitz and, at the request of the

Treasury Department, it made War

Bond and Victory than tours, traveling to Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Cleveland —always to great

acclaim.

The work must have seemed

frivolous and glamorous and it certainly had those moments. But the

band members rehearsed long hours;

toured in crowded, poorly maintained buses; and carried heavy instruments in pouring rain, under the

broiling sun, and while marching

through sucking mud. Most had

played in orchestras and bands as

civilians, but had never worked at

their music for eight intensive hours

a day.

The practice room was unheated

and Loudene Grady (saxophone and

clarinet) and Louise Hensinger

(Sousaphone and dance band

vocalist) had to get up before the

others and go over to the room and

build a fire in the coal stove before

rehearsals.

Ellen Stone and Bonnie Smallwood (snare drum, traps, percussion)

recalled the base concerts:

The weather was changeable

One day a cold wind

would blow the marching

women musicians off balance,

hitting the instruments against

their teeth and bruising their

arms. The drums would loosen

up and have no tone. Valves on

the brass instruments would

stick. The clarinets would crack

and lips would stick to the brass

mouthpieces.

No complaints were heard in August 1945 when the band director

called the women together to announce that Japan was expected to

surrender at any moment:

we're to hit the streets in

uniform, and we're to parade,

parade, and parade! When

word of the surrender comes,

we must be ready to fall out and

parade immediately . . . . We

have to be ready to put on our

uniforms, get our instruments,

and our music pouches, and be

out of here.

They freshened their make-up,

rolled up their hair, brought their inThe MCWR Band, directed by TSgt Charlotte L. Plummer, performed in concert at the Camp Theater, Camp Lejeune.

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) 7305

35
struments into the squadroom for the

first time in two years, and quietly

waited. When at about 1900 on 14

August the announcement finally

came, the women cheered and fell

out for the victory celebration. For

three hours they zigzagged throughout the base, playing until their lips

were sore, and blisters formed on

their fingers and heels.

Thousands of Marines, men and

women, spilled out of the barracks

and the theater and danced in and

out of their ranks. The women

played every march they knew by

heart because they couldn't read their

music in the pandemonium that followed them. And, when entire sections couldn't play because of their

tears, the drums just beat out the

cadence.

Strength

A mere two-and-a-half years after

the formation of the Marine Corps

Women's Reserve, there were 18,460

women on active duty: 17,640 enlistPhoto courtesy of Audre Fall wells ed persons and 820 officers. Women

Audre Fall was the first drum major of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve Band, commanded 28 units and comprised

WRs Jo Meers, Mickey Merrill, Mary Szoroletta, and Neva "lemonade" at the Blue Mirror, a favorite "watering hole" on

Vredevoogd celebrate the end of the Pacific War with 14th Street in Washington, D.C., where Marines often met.

Photo courtesy of Neva Vredevoogd Austin

36
another 17. A few were assigned independently to specialities such as

recruiting.

When the war finally ended with

the abrupt surrender of the Japanese,

women Marines were working in 225

specialties in 16 out of 21 functional

fields, filling 85 percent of the enlisted

jobs at Headquarters Marine Corps

and comprising one-half to twothirds of the permanent personnel at

all large Marine Corps posts and

stations.

Despite the tentative beginning,

women's units flourished. Line organizations included Women's

Reserve battalions at Henderson

Hall, Quantico, Camp Lejeune, Parris Island, San Diego, Camp Pendleton, and Pearl Harbor; the School

Detachment at Camp Lejeune; and

Women Reservist companies at San

Diego, San Francisco, and the Navy

Yard at Mare Island, California, and

in Washington, D.C., along with aviation units at Cherry Point, Quantico, Parris Island, El Toro, Miramar,

El Centro, Santa Barbara, Mojave,

Ewa, and Eagle Mountain Lake

(Texas).

Since it was natural to use women

in the quartermaster field, WRs were

working at the Depot of Supplies in

Philadelphia; South Annex, Norfolk;

Camp Elliott, California; and Depot

of Supplies, San Francisco. They also

worked at the four procurement districts: Eastern, in Philadelphia;

Southern, in Atlanta; Central, in

Chicago; and Western, at San

Francisco.

Demobilization

The task of demobilizing the war

machine was essentially an administrative process requiring more clerks

than warriors. There's an old saw

that says an army fights on beans

and bullets. In 1945, the War Department learned that an army disbands

on a mountain of paperwork.

Although nearly everyone expected

the women to return home quickly,

they were needed more, not less.

Policies regarding the discharge of

women — not only from the Marine

Corps, but also from the other

37

services — changed daily. Even while

acknowledging their own opposition

to women in uniform, a lot of men

were anxious to keep female clerks

on the job to process separation orders, cut paychecks, distribute medals

and decorations, arrange transportation, assist surviving dependents,

and otherwise settle the accounts of

thousands of Marines.

The demobilization procedures

called for mandatory resignation or

discharge of all WRs, officers and enlisted women, by 1 September 1946.

In fact, in November 1945 the Commandant was quoted in the

newspapers as saying that the Marine

Corps Women's Reserve would be

reduced to 2,638 enlisted women and

200 officers by 30 June 1946 and the

organization '1 . * will completely

vanish from the picture by Septem- ber...:'

With the MCWR already at twothirds its peak strength, Colonel

Streeter, believing women should remain no longer than needed, asked

to be released. She resigned on 6 December 1945 and, the following day,

her assistant, Lieutenant Colonel

Katherine A. Towle, was appointed

the second Director of the wartime

Marine Corps Women's Reserve and

promoted to colonel. To Colonel

Towle fell the dual responsibility of

overseeing the demobilization of the

women and planning for a postwar

women's organization.

In the spring of 1946 there was a

steady stream of correspondence

among the Services exploring various proposals to give women permanent status in the military. The

Commandant endorsed a plan for a

small women's reserve to be led in

peacetime by a director with three

officers at Headquarters and six in

recruiting.

Conceding that some sort of women's military organization was inevitable, and legislation authorizing

it was pending, the Marine Corps

relaxed the requirement that WR

Photo courtesy of Sarah Thornton

As other WRs look on, SSgt Elaine Martin cuts the birthday cake on 13 February

1946 for Parris Island Marines celebrating the 3d anniversary of the founding wornen's program. Demobilization of women Marines had already begun by this date.
officers resign. Those still on active

duty could ask for assignment to inactive status, and those already separated were sent a letter asking them

to reenlist in the Reserve and reminding them of the privileges and

responsibilities of belonging to the

Marine Corps Reserve. Upon request, they were reappointed to the

permanent rank held upon resignation.

A point system, similar but not

identical to the one used for men, was

worked out to control the flow of

separations. Women with 25 points

on 1 September 1945 were eligible for

immediate discharge and the required

number of points was progressively

reduced until it reached zero the following July. Exceptions were made

and immediate separation was possible for women at least 38 years old

(later changed to 35) and for married

women whose servicemen husbands

had been discharged. Married women with a minimum of one year's

service could be released if their husbands, discharged or not, were in the

country.

At first, commanding officers

released women directly from their

duty stations and when a unit's

strength fell below 100, it was disbanded. Later, separation centers

were set up at Henderson Hall,

Camp Lejeune, San Diego, and El

Toro. In contrast to the others, the

WRs in San Diego were attached to

the male 1st Separation Company.

Maintaining the paternalistic stance

taken right from the start, female

leaders were charged with assisting

the women through the transition

from Marine to civilian.

The office of the wartime MCWR

was closed on 15 June 1946 when

Colonel Towle began terminal leave.

Before leaving the Marine Corps to

return to the University of California's Berkeley campus as administrative assistant to the vice president

and provost, Colonel Towle proposed the name of Major Julia E.

Photo courtesy of Raelyn Harman Subramanian

The WRs of Squadroom 1, Barracks & Company L, Henderson Hall, enjoy a farewell dinner on Admiral Nimitz Day in 1945.

Capt Henry W Bransom swears in Julia E. Ham blet, the first woman from the

nation's capital to join the Marine Corps, who became the director of the postwar

Women's Reserve, 1946-1 948. She is credited with maintaining the interest of the

released WRs during those years and for organizing WR platoons across the country.

Marine Corps Historical Collection

38
Hamblet to be director of the women's postwar organization. She wrote:

It is believed that Major

Hamblet has all the attributes

and qualifications desirable in

a director of a postwar MCWR.

She is a college graduate, about

30 years of age (which is considered a great advantage in appealing to volunteers among

younger women, especially

those of college age), of fine appearance, with a great deal of

natural dignity and poise, and

has an outstanding service

record and reputation. She has

had experience in both line and

aviation assignments and has

served in the present MCWR

since her commissioning in the

First Officers' Class in May

1943.

The recommendation was acknowledged by Headquarters but not

acted upon. Meanwhile Colonel

Towle's assistant, Captain Mary V. IIlich, set to work tidying up the details of shutting down the wartime

Women's Reserve. With one private

first class, Captain Illich expected to

finish by 15 July 1946, about a

month and a half ahead of the Commandant's schedule.

Ironically, on the day before she

left, Colonel Towle, in a report of the

state of the MCWR to the Director

of Personnel, wrote:

General morale during

demobilization has been

gratifyingly high. Part of this

had been due to the definite

stand the Marine Corps itself

had taken from the beginning

on MCWR demobilization,

particularly in setting and

maintaining 1 September as the

terminal date of the wartime

Women's Reserve. It has been a

goal to work toward, and Marine Corps women have never

had the uncertainty and confusion concerning demobilization

The cover of the music for "March of the

Women Marines," music and words by

Louis Saverino and Emil Grasser,

respectively, of the U.S. Marine Band.

cover sheet courtesy of Marine Band

which have occurred in some of

the other women's services because of the shifting of date and

changes in policy.

How could she have foreseen that

as the September deadline neared,

case after case of exception would be

requested? Few were granted, but it

kept Captain Illich so busy that on

30 August she received an assistant,

First Lieutenant Mary Janice Hale.

Lieutenant Hale's appointment came

on the heels of a major change in

policy when on 7 August 1946 the

Commandant authorized keeping

100 WRs on active duty at HQMC,

for a period of eight months. The

women, clerk typists, payroll clerks,

and auditors were assigned to a new

division of the Personnel Division to

administer the Armed Forces Leave

Act of 1946. As an inducement to

stay, qualified privates first class who

applied were automatically promoted to corporal.

The very next day, on 8 August,

the Commandant authorized the

retention of even more WRs —200

who would stay until 30 June

1947—10 months beyond the original deadline for complete disbandment. He clearly specified that these

women". . . must have clerical, stenographic or other specific ability (no

cooks, truck drivers, hairdressers,

etc., unless they have a secondary

clerical specification)."

So, in the midst of a determined

drive to demobilize the Women's

Reserve, 300 women were asked to

stay, and even as the last of the WR

barracks was being closed, a new

unit, Company F, 1st Headquarters

Battalion, Headquarters, U.S. Marine

Corps, commanded by First Lieutenant Regina M. Durant, was activated on 19 August 1946 with 12

officers and 286 enlisted women.

An anonymous author summed

up the demobilization of the Marine

Corps Women's Reserve quite well in

an undated, unsigned brief history

that begins:

Photo courtesy of Raelyn Harman Subramanian

Sisters Petrina and Rose Nigro, with their fellow Marine, Betty Hall, have dinner

in Washington, D.C., in 1945, before Rose and Betty leave for duty in San Diego.

39
It is rumored that when it

was announced that women

were going to be enlisted in the

Marine Corps the air was

colored with profanity in the

language of every nation as the

members of the old Corps

gathered to discuss this earthshattering calamity. It is entirely probable that the wailing and

moaning which went on that

day amongst the old Marines

was never equaled — never, that

is, until it was announced that

the women Marines were going

home. Then, with a complete

reversal of attitude, many of

those same Marines declared

that the women in their offices

were essential military personnel and absolutely could not be

spared from the office.

On its first-year anniversary, 13

February 1944, the Women's Reserve

received a treasured message from

President Franklin D. Roosevelt:

The nation is as proud of you

as of your fellow Marines — for

Marine women are upholding

the brilliant traditions of the

Corps with a spirit of loyalty

and diligence worthy of the

highest admiration of all

Americans. You have quickly

and efficiently taken over scores

of different kinds of duties that

not long ago were considered

strictly masculine assignments;

and in doing so, you have freed

a large number of well-trained,

battle-ready men of the corps

for action . But, standing out among all the

beautifully worded accolades bestowed on the women Marines of

World War II, is a simple statement

made by General Holcomb, the Commandant so opposed to having women in the Marine Corps in the

beginning: 'like most Marines, when

the matter first came up I didn't believe women could serve any useful

purpose in the Marine Corps .

Since then I've changed my mind:'

Department of Defense Photo (USMC) A119296

The statue of Molly Marine at the corner of Elke Place and Canal Street in New

Orleans was dedicated on 10 November 1943 to the women of the Marine Corps

and serves as a symbol of continuous service for today's women Marines, who send

an anniversary tribute each year from their duty stations around the world.

Doris Bibb and members of the Women Marines Association and other former Marine associates gather at the funeral of Col Ruth Cheney Streeter, on 3 October 1990.

Photo courtesy of Doris S. Bibb

40
The primary sources for this pamphlet are

History of the Marine Corps Women's

Reserve: A Critical Analysis of its Development and Operation, 1943-1945

(Washington 6Dec45), written by Cols

Ruth Cheney Streeter and Katherine A.

Towle at the end of the war, and LtCoI Pat

Meid's Marine Corps Women's Reserve in

World War II (Washington: Historical

Branch, G-3 Division, Headquarters, U.S.

Marine Corps, 1968).

Oral history transcripts of interviews

with Col Streeter, Ruth Cheney Streeter, A

Lively Life (Morristown, N.J. 1979), and

Col Katherine A. Towle, Katherine A.

Towle, Administration and Leadership

(Berkeley: University of California, 1970),

give behind the scenes insights into the era.

Women in the Military: An Unfinished

Revolution, written by MajGen Jeanne

HoIm, USAF (Ret), is a key reference because it presents a complete picture, comparing the road taken by each service in

integrating women into the Armed Forces

and argues that interservice cooperation

among the female directors played a vital

part in the success of all.

Special thanks are reserved for Peter A.

Soderbergh, who allowed the author to use

anecdotal material from his entertaining

and informative social history, Women

Marines: The World War/I Era (Westport

and London: Praeger Publishers, 1992).

Stories about the women of the WR Band

are from their privately published history,

Musical Women Marines of World War 11.

The author's previously published, A

History of the Women Marines, 1946-1977

(Washington, D.C.: History and Museums

Dvision, Headquarters, U.S. Marine

Corps, 1986), and Coping With Sexism in

the Military (New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 1990), were also used. Marine Corps World War II recruiting

brochures and booklets, especially "Be A

Marine . . . Free a Marine to Fight: U. S.

Marine Corps Women's Reserve'ç and "So

Proudly We Serve: U. S. Marine Corps

Women's Reserve;' were important souces

of information regarding recruiting, training, and job opportunities.

"Lady Leathernecks," written by Col

Towle for the Marine Corps Gazette and

published in February 1946, is a good summary of the era. Finally, the contributions

of the WRs who entrusted me with their

precious photographs and took the time to

pen their personal stories were immeasurable. I hope this overview brings back many

fond memories.

C

olonel Mary V. Stremlow, U.S. Marine

Corps Reserve (Ret), Deputy Director, New

York State Division of Veterans' Affairs, has a

bachelor of science degree from New York State

University College at Buffalo. Her Marine Corps

service includes experience as a company commander; staff operations officer; executive officer,

Woman Recruit Training Battalion, Parris Island;

inspector-instructor, Women's Reserve Platoon,

3d Infantry Battalion, Boston; instructor at the

Woman Officer School, Quantico; woman officer selection officer for the 1st Marine Corps District; and officer-in-charge, Mobilization Station, Buffalo.

She is the author of an official history, A History of the Women Marines,

1 946-1977, and of Coping With Sexism in the Military. She is a frequent public

speaker on the history of women veterans and for three years served on the U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans.

Colonel Stremlow counts three other women Marines in her family — Sergeant

Rose M. Nigro and Master Sergeant Petrina C. Nigro, both Women Reservists in

World War II, and her sister, retired Major Carol Vertalino Diliberto.

PCN 190 003129 00

, '-zz-'t' 9%

WORLD WAR II

THIS PAMPHLET HISTORY, one in a series devoted to U.S. Marines in the

World War II era, is published for the education and training of Marines by

the History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps,

Washington, D.C., as a part of the U.S. Department of Defense observance

of the 50th anniversary of victory in that war.

Editorial costs of preparing this pamphlet have been defrayed in part by

a bequest from the estate of Emilie H. Watts, in memory of her late husband,

Thomas M. Watts, who served as a Marine and was the recipient of a Purple

Heart.

WORLD WAR II COMMEMORATIVE SERIES

DIRECTOR OF MARINE CORPS HISTORY AND MUSEUMS

Brigadier General Edwin H. Simmons, USMC (Ret)

GENERAL EDITOR,

WORLD WAR II COMMEMORATIVE SERIES

Benis M. Frank

CARTOGRAPHIC CONSULTANT

George C. MacGillivray

EDITING AND DESIGN SECTION, HIS TORY AND MUSEUMS DIVISION

Robert E. Struder, Senior Editor; W. Stephen Hill, Visual Information

Specialist; Catherine A. Kerns, Composition Services Technician

Marine Corps Historical Center

Building 58, Washington Navy Yard

Washington, D.C. 20374-5040

1994