Posted on Jan 22, 2016
Here Are The Women Who First Joined Each Branch Of The Military
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Posted 9 y ago
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Thanks for sharing the link COL Mikel J. Burroughs. From the picture it seems the images are from WWII. I expected some women served in the Civil War on both sides and in WWI as well although they were most likely either spies or nurses. Thanks for posting the brief histories of:
U.S. Army: Deborah Sampson - An indentured servant, Sampson joined the Continental Army in May 1781 — though some reports place the year at 1782
U.S. Navy: The Sacred Twenty - The first women to serve in the Navy belonged to the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, which was established on May 13, 1908. The first 20 nurses earned the nickname “the sacred twenty,” and were assigned to duty at a naval hospital in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Marine Corps: Opha Mae Johnson - In 1918, Josephus Daniels, the Secretary of the Navy, opened the Marine Corps Reserves to women for service in clerical roles, so battle-ready male Marines could be sent overseas. By luck of the draw, Johnson was the first in line, among 300 other women, and became the first female Marine on August 13, 1918.
U.S. Air Force: Esther Blake - Already a veteran of the Army Air Forces, Esther Blake was the first woman to enlist for regular Air Force duty when service within the newly founded branch was authorized for women on July 8, 1948.
U.S. Coast Guard: Twin sisters Genevieve and Lucille Baker, and Myrtle Hazard - There’s some debate between historians as to whether or not the 19-year-old twin sisters Genevieve and Lucille Baker were the first women to join the Coast Guard, or if it was Myrtle R. Hazard, who became the service’s first female electrician on Jan. 21, 1918.
U.S. Army: Deborah Sampson - An indentured servant, Sampson joined the Continental Army in May 1781 — though some reports place the year at 1782
U.S. Navy: The Sacred Twenty - The first women to serve in the Navy belonged to the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, which was established on May 13, 1908. The first 20 nurses earned the nickname “the sacred twenty,” and were assigned to duty at a naval hospital in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Marine Corps: Opha Mae Johnson - In 1918, Josephus Daniels, the Secretary of the Navy, opened the Marine Corps Reserves to women for service in clerical roles, so battle-ready male Marines could be sent overseas. By luck of the draw, Johnson was the first in line, among 300 other women, and became the first female Marine on August 13, 1918.
U.S. Air Force: Esther Blake - Already a veteran of the Army Air Forces, Esther Blake was the first woman to enlist for regular Air Force duty when service within the newly founded branch was authorized for women on July 8, 1948.
U.S. Coast Guard: Twin sisters Genevieve and Lucille Baker, and Myrtle Hazard - There’s some debate between historians as to whether or not the 19-year-old twin sisters Genevieve and Lucille Baker were the first women to join the Coast Guard, or if it was Myrtle R. Hazard, who became the service’s first female electrician on Jan. 21, 1918.
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