Elizabeth P . Hoisington Elizabeth Paschel Hoisington ( November 3 , 1918 – August 21 , 2007 ) was a United States Army officer who was one of the first two women to attain the rank of brigadier general . Biography . Born in Newton , Kansas , on November 3 , 1918 , Elizabeth Hoisington was a 1940 graduate of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland . During World War II the United States Army expanded opportunities for women beyond nursing by creating the Women ' s Army Auxiliary Corps ( WAAC ) . Elizabeth Hoisington enlisted in the WAACs in November 1942 and completed her basic training at Fort Des Moines , Iowa . At the time , women were required to serve in units before they could apply to Officer Candidate School ( OCS ) , so Private Hoisington went to a WAAC aircraft early warning unit in Bangor , Maine . The company commander recognized her talents and made her the first sergeant soon after her arrival . " From Private to First Sergeant , that was my greatest promotion in the Army . " " ~ General Hoisington " She later said that she then sought out the most grizzled male first sergeant she could find and asked him to teach her what she needed to know . She claimed that he did such a good job that when she reached OCS she never had to open a book . Hoisington was commissioned in May , 1943 , as a WAAC third officer . When the auxiliary became the Women ' s Army Corps ( WAC ) a month later , its officers changed to standard Army ranks , and Hoisington became a second lieutenant . She deployed to Europe , serving in France after D - Day . Hoisington continued her career after World War II and advanced through the ranks to colonel as she commanded WAC units in Japan , Germany , and France and served in staff assignments in San Francisco and at the Pentagon . She was appointed the seventh director of the Women ' s Army Corps on August 1 , 1965 , and served from 1966 to 1971 . As director during the Vietnam War she visited WACs serving in Saigon and Long Binh in September , 1967 . According to some sources , Hoisington discouraged sending Army women to Vietnam because she believed the controversy would deter progress in expanding the overall role of women in the Army . Promotion to Brigadier General . On May 15 , 1970 , President Nixon announced the first women selected for promotion to brigadier general : Anna Mae Hays , Chief of the Army Nurse Corps , and Hoisington . On June 11 , 1970 , the two women were promoted . According to the Army Nurse Corps Association , Hays was the first woman in the United States Armed Forces to wear the insignia of a brigadier general . " Hays and Hoisington were promoted on the same day within minutes of each other . The Hoisington and Hays promotions resulted in positive public relations for the Army , including appearances on the Dick Cavett , David Frost and " Today " shows . Hoisington , who was noted for her quick smile and ebullient personality , also appeared as a mystery guest on the popular game show " What ' s My Line ? " Hoisington retired on August 1 , 1971 . Family . Her grandfather , Colonel Perry Milo Hoisington I , helped to organize the Kansas National Guard . Her father , Gregory Hoisington , was a graduate of West Point and a colonel in the Army . He was a direct descendant of Ebenezer Hoisington , a founder of the state of Vermont and one of the soldiers who served during the American Revolution . Her brother , Perry Hoisington II , was a United States Air Force general . Elizabeth Hoisington ’ s 1970 promotion made them the first brother and sister generals in the United States military . She was survived by a younger brother , Robert , and a sister , Nancy . She never married . Death and burial . General Hoisington died in Springfield , Virginia , on August 21 , 2007 , at the age of 88 . She is buried at Arlington National Cemetery , Section 6 , Site 9239 - B . An obituary in the " Washington Post " dated November 4 , 2007 , lists four siblings : Major General Perry M . Hoisington , USAF ( Ret . ) , Lt Col Robert H . Hoisington , USA ( Ret . ) , Mary Jo Maertens and Nancy H . Smith ; 18 nieces and nephews , numerous great - and great - great nieces and nephews .