Charlotte M. Ayers

WMA Life Member Korean Era Veteran Charlotte Ayers was born and raised in Neillsville, WI. In Oct 1952 she enlisted in the Marine Corps, thereby joining her father serving in the Army, two brothers in the Marines, and another brother in the National Guard. After completing Boot Camp and Clerk-Typist School, Ayers was stationed at

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Posted in: History, Life After the Corps, Military, Training, USMC, Values, WMA, Women Marines AssociationTagged in: ,

United States Marine Corps Women Reserves. USMCWR

2023 Anniversary of Continuous Service of Women Marines History of our Anniversary. (by Jeannine Franz and Gail Horn) By the WMA History Committee Happy anniversary lady leathernecks! Or, is it happy birthday?  This is a common debate, but the answer is simple. Every year, the Commandant of the Marine Corps writes a letter to women

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Posted in: Boot Camp, Female Marine, History, Marine Corps, Military, Training, USMC, Values, veterans, WMA History, Women Marines Association, WWII

Transforming pain through paint, ‘Tech Picasso’ leaves traumatic memories behind

iAsia Brown spent 16 years as a gay woman in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” military. Now, she’s producing Xbox games, chasing her master’s degree at USC Marshall and painting images that stop viewers in their tracks. BY Ron Mackovich-Rodriguez USC News iAsia Brown’s Oceanside home seems in artful disarray. The downstairs space, cleared of furniture, is

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Posted in: Female Marine, History, Life After the Corps, Marine Corps, Membership, Military, Personal Stories, USMC, Values, veterans, Women Marines AssociationTagged in:

80th Anniversary Message

Celebrating 80 years since the USMC Women Reserves 13 Feb 2380 years ago, the slogan “Free a Marine to Fight” drew 19,000 women to the USMC Women Reserves during World War II. Today we are approximately 18,000 strong. We have moved from performing mainly clerical positions to filling combat infantry MOS slots worldwide. Every generation

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Posted in: Female Marine, History, Marine Corps, Military, USMC, Values, veterans, WMA, Women Marines Association, WWIITagged in: , , , , , , ,
Marine Recruitment 1970s

Recruitment of women Marines in the ’70s

This recruitment film, produced for the U.S. Marine Corps by Dallas-based Bill Stokes Associates, portrays the recruitment and training process for women in the Marines. The film starts with “Susie Smalltown” who joins the Marines for the “glamorous uniform”. The viewer then witnesses the transformation that takes place for women recruits during basic training and

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Posted in: Boot Camp, Female Marine, History, Marine Corps, Military, Training, USMC, Vietnam, WMA

Our History – Our Service

By Rosa Osborn In 2010, as a warrant officer and several years in the Marine Corps, I thought I knew it all. I knew the history of the Marine Corps. We all do. I didn’t discover just how little I knew until 2010 while attending the WMA Convention in Denver. I was not only amazed

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Posted in: Afghanistan, Awards, Conflicts, Female Marine, History, Iraq, Korean, Marine Corps, Military, Personal Stories, Values, veterans, Vietnam, WMA, WMA History, WWIITagged in: , , , , ,
Rosa-Osborn-Julia-Hamblet-Awardee

Rosa Osborn

Julia Hamblet Awardee WMA extends congratulations to WMA Member Rosa Osborn as the 2022 recipient of the Julia Hamblet Award. I want to take this opportunity to announce the recipient of the Julia E. Hamblet Award as our own, Rosa Osborn, for her extraordinary efforts in the preservation of the history of women Marine uniforms

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Posted in: Awards, Female Marine, History, Life After the Corps, Marine Corps, Military, USMC, veterans, Volunteer, WMA, WMA History, Women Marines AssociationTagged in: , ,
Rev. Melinda Townsend

Rev. Melinda Townsend

WMA Mational Chaplain Melinda Townsend was born in Denver, CO and raised primarily in the north-central area of New Mexico (Española, Santa Fe and Taos).  She spent 3 years living in Aguascalientes Mexico as a teenager giving her a wonderful cross-culture living experience and fluency in Spanish.  She graduated from St. Michael’s High School in

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Posted in: Life After the Corps, Membership, Military, Personal Stories, USMC, Volunteer, WMATagged in: , , ,
Mary Palazzolo

Mary Palazzolo WMA Member of the Week

Mary Palazzolo is a life member of WMA joining first with the Motor City Chapter located in Michigan in the late 70’s. Her career started with 8A 1974 at Parris Island, SC WRTC. After active duty she joined the Marine Corps Reserves serving at Broadhead Naval Amory in Detroit and in Lansing. In 1990 she

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Posted in: Female Marine, History, Life After the Corps, Marine Corps, Membership, Military, Personal Stories, USMC, Values, veterans, Volunteer, WMA, WMA Chapters, Women Marines Association
Roberta “Randy” Tidmore

WMA Meet Our Member

Roberta “Randy” Tidmore Randy was one of 18,000 women who joined the Marines by that year. While comprising just 4 percent of the Marines, women worked as clerks, mechanics, and aerial gunnery instructors, among other jobs, and they helped pave the way for more than 1 million women who have since served in the U.S.

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Posted in: Awards, Female Marine, History, Life After the Corps, Marine Corps, Military, Personal Stories, USMC, veterans, WMA, WMA Chapters, Women Marines Association, WWII
Bettie Glassey

WMA Member of the Week

Bettie Glassey Life Member WA-3 Bettie Glassey was nominated by Peggy Reiber. Reiber states: I would like to nominate Bettie Glassey, WA-3 President as our member of the week. She has been a life member of WMA and has served as President for WA-3 for over 10 years. In addition to all she does for

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Posted in: Female Marine, Life After the Corps, Membership, Military, Personal Stories, Values, veterans, WMA, WMA ChaptersTagged in: , , , , , ,
Valerie-Johnson

The Importance of Belonging to WMA

By: Valerie Johnson When I joined the Women Marine Association, it brought a new form of life to me Valerie Johnson In 1984, something spectacular happened, I became one of the 8% women called the United States Marines. I am the daughter of two very loving parents who expect nothing less except excellence from me.

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Posted in: Female Marine, Life After the Corps, Membership, Military, Personal Stories, Values, veterans, WMA, WMA ChaptersTagged in: , , , , ,