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Category: Women of the Corps History Project
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SSgt Elize McKelvey
2023 National Women’s History Month “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories” is not only the theme for National Women’s History Month but is also the Women Marines Association theme for March, Women’s History Month. Print, radio, TV, art, music, and social media are all platforms used to tell stories.…
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Corporal Germaine Laville
Corporal Germaine Laville Laville lived in Plaquemine, La., graduated from LSU in 1942 with a bachelor’s degree in education and was a member of Chi Omega sorority. The oldest of seven children, she decided to represent her family in the World War II effort by enlisting in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in July,…
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Mary Bacon Hale
Mary Bacon Hale 1921-2014 (Leisure Village, Camarillo CA) Just touching the life led by Mary Peterson Bacon Hale was a unique event. Mary was born at Fort Sheridan, IL, into the family of Adolph Peterson, US Army. Born of noble birth, her father escaped Russia as did his brothers just prior to the Russian Revolution.…
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Women Marines Reserve Band
Women Marines Reserve Band by Colonel Mary V Stremlow, USMCR (Ret) 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…
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E. Louise Stewart, MCWR
Who’s that pretty lady on the magazine cover? By Sabrina Messenger You may recognize this highly glamorized iconic picture on the cover of the May 1943 issue of a popular general interest magazine of the time called Collier’s. Her face shows up on a lot of USMC related merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs, and computer mousepads. …
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The History of the Women Marines Association
In the upcoming weeks we will go over the history of the Women Marines Association. The book was compiled by the WMA National Historian, Nancy Wilt in honor of the 50th anniversary of our Association in Denver in 2010. We start with a greeting written by Col Julia Hamblet Greeting from Colonel Julia E. Hamblet,…
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History of the USMC Women Reserves
The Marine Corps was strictly male until World War II except for 305 Marine Reservists (F), popularly termed “Marinettes,” who served during World War I. By 1942, unprecedented manpower demands of the two-front war led to personnel shortages. Although Corps Commandant, General Thomas Holcomb opposed recruiting women, he followed the example of the Army, Navy…
