They Are Still Marines!
Contributed by Col Suellyn Wright Novak, Alaska Veterans Museum
In 1918, the Secretary of the Navy permitted women to enroll as clerical staff in the Marine Corps. The first recoded female Marine was Opha May Johnson, enlisting on August 13, 1918. She was followed by 304 other fearless women who took over stateside clerical; duties to free up battle-ready male Marines.
On October 31, 1942, Secretary Frank Knox authorized the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve; on November 7th the Marine Corps Commandant Lieutenant General Thomas Holcomb approved the creation. In 1943, Colonel Ruth Cheney Streeter was its first Director. By way of background, in WW II there was only one female Colonel authorized for each of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps [WAAC], the Navy Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service [WAVES]. The SPARS [ acronym for the Coast Guard Motto – Semper Paratus – Always Ready] were the US Coast Guard Women’s Reserve, and breaking tradition, they were headed by a US Navy WAVE, Lieutenant Dorothy C. Stratton was their Director.
In 1943,Captain Anne Lentz was the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve first commissioned officer, and Private Lucille McClaren was the first female enlisted Marine. on March 13th, 1943the first class of 71 officer candidates enter US Naval Midshipmen’s School at Mt Holyoke, MA to begin training with the WAVES.. on March 26th, 1943722 enlisted Women Reserves (WR) begin training at the US Naval Training School at Hunter College, the Bronx NY, once again training with the WAVES. April 25th the first class of enlisted graduated and reported to active duty. About 525women entered every2 weeks for a four week course. May 4th saw the graduation of the first class of officer candidates. Their training lasted eight weeks. By 1944 the Women’s Reserve had grown from 4 women to nearly 15,000 and the WRs held more than 200 different assignments.
The Alaska Veterans Museum is pleased to announce a new exhibit telling the story of one of the early female Marines, Marcella Greene. Come enjoy this story at 411 W 4th Ave, Suite 2-A (the yellow Sunshine Plaza). We are open M-Sa 10 Am to 5 PM.
