The Best of the Season

Bay State Chapter MA-1 held their annual Christmas party and meeting at the Adams Inn in North Quincy, MA on December 4, 2011 at 1200.

Everyone brought in donations for Toys for Tots, our Veteran’s Hospitals, cards for Morgan and donations for the homeless. Our special guest was Lorna Dupouy, Area Director.

WWII Marine Ruth Haberman shares a historic photo with WMA Area 1 Director Lorna Dupouy

A special highlight of the afternoon was when chapter member Ruth Haberman shared a wonderful and historical photograph with Lorna.

USMC Women's Reserve F Company 2nd HQ BN Henderson Hall

Arlington, VA 1944

Any questions or would like more information about future chapter events or this historical photograph please contact:
Heidi Hurley Bay State Chapter MA-1 at heidihurl@gmail.com

Happy Thanksgiving From Afghanistan

By Sgt T. Wilson

Hey everyone,

         I’m just getting back from what we call reset. Female marines can not be with an infantry unit for longer than 45 days at a time. So the FET comes together and do additional training and classes every 45 days or so. Each of the two women FET teams gave a brief on their projects, activities, and lessons learned from the past 45 days. It was really good to hear all the different stories and experiences we are all having. Some of the FET Marines are in a more kinetic area, meaning there is more fighting and its more dangerous. Others like myself, aren’t. It seemed like those of us in the less kinetic area are able to interact more with the children and the women. We are building relationships and hopefully “winning hearts and minds” ; ) In the other areas it is harder to accomplish those things, so they are finding other ways to contribute. I guess one of the main things we learned this reset was that success is measured not by comparing one team to another, but by the improvements we make in our own areas. I think we probably learned more at breakfast, lunch and dinner sharing stories then during the classes, but it was overall a good experience.

 

          We had our first visit to the base by Afghan women yesterday. It probably doesnt seem that amazing, but this has never happened before. We met them on patrol a few days earlier. One of the woman had a big cut over her eye and her mother(probably in her late 50′s) came and asked us to help. So we  cleaned it up and gave her some bandaids. Then they show up at the base because it wasnt getting any better. We gave them hygiene classes on brushing teeth, washing hair and other things along these lines. They were so thankful and socialable. It was so much fun. The older woman told us, “may your dust turn into gold” and said we were like daughters. AND..she let me take a picture with her, which again was a first. She touched the top of our heads as she was leaving..which doesnt seem like much but it was definitely a sign of affection.  Its little victories like this that make all if worth while. Or walking down the street and hearing kids call out my name, “Aziza, Aziza” (thats my Afghan name). I feel blessed to be here with the opportunity to make a difference.

 

         The school we always visit is suffering from a lack of attendance. Last time we visited, 4 children were present out of 80…wow, right! We have been tasked with finding ways to promote attendence at the schools in our area of operation. No small task considering all these kids are up against. Most of the kids we talk to say they are scared to go to school. Others say its because of the harvest..they have to help their families work in the fields. So its my mission to get the kids back to school and to show everyone the importance of education. Wish me luck!! We are going to the school soon and handing out new supplies, maybe motivate them to show up at least one day so we can convince them to keep showing up. We had a meeting with the principal and he is a great ally in this fight.

       We have a new unit here now and we’re trying to win them over. The commanding officer has given us many new tasks. Who would have tought I would come to Afghanistan and be put in charge of assessing and identifying all the schools in the Area we’re located. Its a good thing education happens to be one of my passions (thank you Madison School teachers for instilling in me the importance of education). They have never had a FET before or worked with females. Its been a challenge to show them our worth..especially in the lower ranks.

A taste of home! Thank you!!!

       I guess thats it for now…i just want to say thank you to all those who read my emails and have spread the word. We have already began recieveing hygiene gear to hand out to the women. I got 9 packages yesterday…6 from people I’ve never even spoken to. One women told me about her granddaughter who sold pictures she drew for 25 cents, house to house, to buy toys for the Afghan kids. She raised $4..amazing. My linguist cried at the generosity of you all.

De Khodai Pu Amman (May you be in the safety of God)

Tiffany Wilson

 

Hello from Afghanistan

By Sgt T. Wilson

11Nov2011

Night Patrol

Wow. it really has been a not very interesting week. The Marines that are here now will be leaving soon and new Marines are already arriving. And…our linguist is on much deserved vacation in Hawaii for two weeks. She has been here for 9 months. So needless to say we have been bumming around the COP(combat out post) for the most part. This is when time seems to creep by.

One of the Captains is from MI and he has a sign that says, “Afghanistan: I would rather be here then in Ohio, Go Blue” He wanted to take a picture with him and the children, with the sign. So he came and got us, the FET, children whispers I guess. : ) We went out to the front gate of the base and started blowing up balloons and blowing bubbles. And soon enough the kids started coming. At first it was 3 or 4, then they just started trickling over and we ended up with about 20. They loved the balloons. We had those really long balloons, so we made them hats. Again, it strikes me that these simple little toys that American kids take for advantage, is something they have never seen before. Kids here arent really kids in some instances. They work hard, and help take care of the younger kids.

We went yesterday..finally..and did a VCP (Vehicle Check Point). Which is basically were the Marines and the ANA (Afghan National Army) and the ANP (Afghan National Police) search all the vehicles/donkeys/bicycles/people walking that come through. Your probably thinking Donkeys? But it is very common here to have kids riding around on donkeys. They also use them to carry crops they are harvesting. Sometimes the donkey will be carrying so much stuff you cant even see the donkey and then there will be a kid sitting on top of it. They dont have horses here that I have seen. Motorbikes are also a HUGE thing here. Most of them dont own a car but they usually have a motorbike. You would be amazed how many people they fit on those things too. A family of 4, 3 men…its not unusual.

Ok back to the checkpoint. The ANP and the ANA do most of the searching, except for the women..thats why the FET are there. The ANA and ANP do not have women, or at least its extremely rare. Out of the 75 people that came from there were 8 women. Sometimes the insurgents will put things on the women because more times than not there is no women to search the women. A lot of times if they see a women in the car or on the bike they wont even search the men. So you can imagine how useful this can be to insurgents.

The women if they are out are always escorted by a male relative. And they are usually wearing a burqa or some other sheet like cloth that covers there entire body. Its not like this in all of Aghanistan. In the cities women walk around by themselves and dont cover everything up. But helmand province is the most conservative…it has a lot to do with their tribes. Afghan is a tribal society. The Pashtuns that are mostly in helmand are more conservative. I think I’ve mentioned this before but I dont think I mentioned what a burqa looks like. Imagine a large sheet drapped over the entire body (like someone dressing as a ghost at Halloween). At the eyes there is a small square area that is covered in mesh. you cant even see their eyes when you look at them, but i guess they can see enough to get around.

Yesterday, when the women realize that we’re women they lift up the burga (they were clothes under) and let us see their face and search them. The older women usually dont wear a burqa they just cover up with a huge scarf that wraps around the entire body and hide their faces. Many of the women as soon as they realized we were women started to talking to us, telling us their medical problems. How do I know you ask? They say the work doctor a bunch of times. One women even took my hand and put it on the places on her body that hurt; her head, her chest and her knee. We didnt have our linguist so there wasnt much we could do…we couldnt tell them anything. I gave one woman my water because she said she had a headache. They dont drink water so a lot of times that is the cause of headaches. I dont know why they assume that we are doctors or can help them medically. They always do though.

During the VCPs I always try to give the kids something, candy or snacks when they come through. I want to make it see less intimidating. It has to feel that way i imagine. Just think if it were you and you were stopped by a bunch of people in uniform with big guns and told you and you belongings have to be searched. Its for their own safety and our safety and they are probably use to it by now, but theres no reason not to make it a little bit better of an experience. : )

When we are doing these types of things we always get a few different reaction from the men and children. There is the look shocked and stare with out saying anything look. It happens often. You can see the surprise on their face when they realize there are women out with the men in uniform. They stare as they are walking. Dont say anything…just stare. I’m surprised sometimes they dont hurt there necks : ) Then there is the man giggling. Thats what I like to call it. I’ll say “salaam Alikum” and they will say it back but giggle as they do it because they cant believe I’m a female. Or they will turn to whoever they are with and say something like “its a girl” and giggle and stare. The ANA and ANP are the same way. The afghan men seem to be fascinated by us!! : ) The women on the other hand are very hard to read. They rarely show emotion or let there face show any expressions. You can never really tell what an Afghan women is thinking.

I guess thats it for now. Hope you all had a great Halloween.

Tiffany Wilson

Life as a FET 2

By Sgt T. Wilson

We have had some interesting experience since I last wrote. We had to go console the family of a village elder that was killed hours prior. It was extremely sad.
I was really nervous. This was the same house I made bread, so we had been there before and started to establish a relationship with them. We knew the boys really well because we have been to the school many times. But I was afraid they blamed us for his death. Its hard enough to comfort someone after a loss when your close to them, so trying to say the right thing to someone who is of a different culture, different language, and you only barely know I thought it was going to be tough. The 11-year-old daughter was the only witness and as soon as she saw us she started spilling the story…its like she needed to tell it.

In Afghanistan, this area anyway, they don’t have funeral homes, so they have to bury the body right away. And they don’t bury them under the ground. We have walked through one of their graveyards and there are people shaped mounds of rocks and dirt everywhere. They decorate the graves with long sticks with different color pieces of cloth. I know its hard to picture. The women do not get to go to the burial. So when we arrived at the house to consul the family it was just the women there. We went in the house and there were 20 women all dressed in black gathered together sitting on the floor. I have never seen so many women here in the same place. We sat down in front of them and they all crowded around and we did our best to offer condolences. I told them I was sorry for their lose and if there was anything they needed let us know. My linguist said a prayer from the Koran. The eldest daughter who is in her 20s had tears rolling down her face. I barely knew the guy but seeing the women in so much pain, I had trouble trying not to cry too. I know very un-Marine of me : ) They asked if we would come back though so I took that as a good sign.

Last week we (the FET) got called to the front gate. They said they needed us. It turns out there was this little girl..probably 8…who had been struck in the head with a large rock by another kid. She was  sitting on the table where Doc treats the Afghans and she was covered in blood.
She looked scared but she also calm. She would answer the male linguist, but when Zeba (my linguist) and I got there she finally talked, so Doc could do his assessment. We cleaned her up and found some clothes to change her into. They ended up medivac-ing her to a larger base with a hospital, in case she internal bleeding or something like that. I don’t remember the official term : ) Zeba is a nurse in the U.S. so she was able to help a lot with the medical stuff. What really struck me was that the whole time she did not cry once. She was surrounded by strangers who do not really speak her language, covered in blood, in pain, but she did not cry once. I couldn’t believe her strength. We told her how brave she was, gave her a little stuffed animal to take with her and one of the Marines carried her out to the helicopter. It turned out she didn’t have any major injuries just a really bad concussion.

Besides that we have been doing a lot of the same. Going out on patrols, going into the homes of the locals and trying to talk to the women. No matter how much I try to reason with myself it still gets to me that the women, usually the older women more so, don’t think there opinion has any value. We asked them if they want to send their daughters to school and they said, “I’m just a women it doesn’t matter what I think…you should ask my husband.” I try to tell them that I care what they think and that it does matter. Just to maybe plant a tiny seed of change in their minds. I’m not expecting to change their culture and really were not here to do that. We’re here to give them a voice, learn their concerns, and do what we can to improve there lives. But it still gets to me…

Today we went back to the home of the man who was killed I talked about earlier. I think we had the best conversation we have had so far. It was more real and honest then the women normally get. You see..although they talk to us, you can tell there always holding back. Today there was no holding back.   They said one of their sons was told “if you go to school we will cut your head off” after we were at the school that very day handing out supplies. How brave is that kid to still go to school!!! But hearing things like this affects me so much. I can’t help it. Is there such a thing as caring too much? The women also said today…”do you think I want to marry off my 10-year-old daughter, no I do not, but we know we can not provide for her and feel we have no other choice.”

There were fun moments too. They wanted to know if in America the men have to pay money to the brides family like they do here to get married. So we tried to explain that in American you meet someone and you fall in love and then you eventually get married. They were amused at this. They asked if it is the man or woman who falls in love. When we told them both it was a surprise to them. They asked if I had meet someone who I loved yet : ) I said not yet, hopefully someday. The one women said..don’t get married, men are a hassle lol. They had a lot of questions for us today…which makes it interesting. They asked if it would offended us if they call us “Americans.” We told them no, but I’m still trying to figure out why they would think it would be offensive. : ) One of the women tried to give me her baby. No joke. She said take him, he will make you happy.

I don’t know if I mentioned it before but mice are invading our tent. We have caught two so far..and theres still more. They like to haunt us at
night…creeping around! : )

 I guess that’s all for now! Hope you are all doing well. Love to hear how your lives are going too!

Tiff Wilson

P.S. I still have not fallen in a Canal…Canals 0 Me 10 : )

A World Away

 

 

 

Sgt T. Wilson is part of the Female Engangement Team (FET) in Afghanistan.

Its been almost two weeks since we started doing the job of the Female  Engagement Team and I have already seen enough to greatful 10x over for all we  have in the U.S. Life is so different for the people here. I’ll try to give you  a little picture of what it is like here. First, the imagine not having access to a doctor if you get sick or medicine for that matter. There is no drug store for even the simplest things, like tylenol. Everyone we talk to have some health issue and they all think that we can somehow cure them. Its the first and the last thing the women want to talk us about. We met one women, in her 60′s. Thats another thing, they do not know there ages here. When we ask we usually get answers like, “oh I’m 16 or 17, maybe 18.” sometimes they just say I dont know. Sometimes they will be like I’m probably 30, and then one of the siblings will chime in, no your at least 35. But anyways, this women, I’m guessing is in her 60′s, was missing an eye and in pain because it got infected and the infection spread to her throat. Her son came and found us and asked us to see her, because  he thought we could do something. Its heartbreaking knowing that they believe that we can help them but really we can’t. We tell them to come to the base, but the women rarely leave the house so its not likely they will come. We hand out minor meds, like eyedrops or pepto bismo or tylenol, but thats only because our linguist also happens to be a trained nurse in the U.S. And we have ran out of pretty much everything. So no access to health care in this area.

The children run around alone all the time. Walking down the street alone. Sometimes carting around a toddler. Working in the fields alone or tending to the sheep alone. The ones that go to school do so alone. There is no dropping off your children to school or having the school bus pick them up here. I wish there was a school bus, because they all say its to far to send there female children to school. And a lot of the kids walk around with no shoes, especially the younger
ones. And many times they walk down gravel roads or through canals and cornfields. It will be winter soon and we are told they will be wearing the same
thing then that they do now. It gets cold here and they have no winter coats.

A great majority of them do not have electricity or plumming. There are not  flushing toilets or showers for the most part. Most in this area are farmers.
They have hard lifes. Working for every little thing they have and selling whatever they can for extra money.

The schools in this area are only for boys. Only the boys are allowed be photographed and many times when we speak to the women at least one male is present, even its a 10 year old son. The school that we sometimes visit has a 18 year old with a 7th grade education teaching. There are 13 to 17 year olds that are considered 5th graders. it only goes to 5th grade. The dont have much access to pens, pencils, books, or notebooks. Most of there supplies were given to them by the FET.

There  doorways are very small too. Lcpl Frank, my partner here, was trying to walk through a doorway. She was following a short person who didnt have to dunk…and so she didnt either and she slamed her face right into the compound wall. We call their homes compounds, because they have 6 or 7 foot walls all in a square.  When you enter its an open courtyard with rooms located off of it. Ill try and take a picture so you get a better idea of what i mean.

I could go on and on….

On the patrols we always have to jump a canal or two. I have yet to fall in one, but someone always does. It adds a little comic relef to an

Canal Jumping

otherwise serious situation ; )

We the Marines, have pretty much all we need. Besides some snacks…If you want to send anything for us to hand out to the afghans that would be great. Candy, you know kids and candy, old winter coats, crocks (the shoes) in small sizes, any old shoes you dont want anymore, vitamins for women, tylenol and things like that, school supplies, hygiene stuff (small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, chapstick, lotion).  )

I really love what I’m doing. And although at times it is hard, physically and mentally, it all seems worth it to know we may be doing some good. I hope you all are well. Its still in the 90′s most days here, but the rainy season is just around the corner!

Tiff Wilson

Marine Corps Trained – Mission Ready Part 2

By Michele Rager

This is the second article in a series of articles describing my year of mission work in a Haitian orphanage. Please follow along as I describe how my Marine Corps training and experience help me to adapt and overcome the challenges of living in third-world conditions.

So now I have been in Haiti for 7 weeks. The next thing people want to know is how I am adjusting to the 3^rd world conditions in my new home. I am living in Delmas 33, on a 2 acre property. We have toilets, running water, a water purification system, refrigerators, DVD players, the internet, (well, sort of), and even an air conditioner for my apartment, (apartment is a stretch, but since I get three whole rooms to myself I don’t want to downplay it too much – by Haitian standards I live in luxury!)

The average temperature since I’ve been here is 92 in the daylight and it’s gotten as low at 79 at night. Now, even though my Michigan
friends might think, “Pshaw! We’ve had weather in the 90s all summer!” keep in mind that the heat index in Michigan has hardly gone above 95 and the UV index is usually around +1 or +2. In Haiti, it is usually around 50% humidity until just before the rain and then it hits 110% humidity. The heat index is usually around 99 degrees or even in the hundreds, and the UV index holds at a steady +10. The best way to fight this off is with water. Clean drinking water is a precious commodity here in Haiti. We are fortunate in that Poured Out, along with the US Navy, has provided a sand filtration system that is quite efficient. We also supplement this with the purchase of Culligan Water.

The mosquitoes are, to quote Rainn Wilson, “On the SEAL Team Six of mosquitoes.” They will bite me even through 99% DEET repellant. They will often spend their entire short-lived 24 hours existence trying to get thru my mosquito net. If I miss even a one square inch spot with repellant, I will receive no less than 10 bites in that spot. For those of us that are Parris Island trained, you will easily recall, sometimes with horror, my favorite (note the sarcasm) pest in Haiti, the sand flea. Yes, that irksome little devil is small enough to get thru my net, so I have to defend myself with corn starch. Apparently they dislike this very much. I cover my bed in it in the mornings and it kills most of them off by night. As much as I cursed my DIs for not allowing us to scratch all those biting little buggers, I now can appreciate my ability to ignore the biting and still get my work done.

The air quality here is so horrible that OSHA would declare the entire region a hazard pay zone. The number of people that are living on the streets or in the tent camps is so overwhelming. There are very few public restrooms or places for them to wash. Also adding to the cesspool of germs floating around is the constancy of their awful habit of spiting every where. I keep being told by the children that it is part of their culture. At some point in the development of their “civilization” someone must have decided that it was unhealthy to swallow your own saliva. I keep telling the older kids that they only do this because no one has ever taught them otherwise! Because of the plethora of germs I am exposed to on a daily basis, I have had a steady battle with pink-eye and skin rashes, not to mention the extreme difficulty my sinuses have had with adjusting to this region.  But being Marine Corps hardened also makes me impervious to many of the bacteria that could make my life a living hell.

But before you write Haiti off as a filthy, disgusting place, understand that the Haitian people have an enduring spirit full of hope and determination. These people are survivors. They are spiritual. They are innovative. They are creative. They crave a channel through which all of this can flow. I hope only that while I am here, I can teach them half of what they can teach me.

To be
continued…

 

For more information on how you can help the mission, please check out HaveFaithHaiti.org or go to MitchAlbom.com and click on his charity link.

The expenses to keep me down here are about $1,200 a month. If you would like to make a donation towards this, please contact Mark Mendelsohn at havefaithhaiti@gmail.com for more information.

Marine Corps Trained – Mission Ready

My Year In Haiti

By Michele Rager

This is the first in a series of articles describing my year of mission work in a Haitian orphanage. Please follow along as I describe how my Marine Corps training and experience help me to adapt and overcome the challenges of living in third-world conditions.

When I tell people that I have moved to Port Au Prince, Haiti, to spend a year working at an orphanage, the first thing they respond with is, “Wow! God bless you! What will your role be there?” I explain that my mission is simply to help teach the children English, help them to learn critical thinking skills, help the Haitian directors understand American concepts such as preventive maintenance and safety standards, camp operations, supply and equipment control and maintenance, etc. Then they usually ask how I’ve prepared for this mission, and what kind of degree is required to get a position like this. I smile and begin to list my various job skills, and the training I’ve completed:

1 year of college study in Education & Psychology

1 year working with the Department of Education, Head Start Program

8 years in the USMC, Heavy Equipment Operator and Training and Administrative Support, &    Manpower Management

4 years in the US Army, Military Police, Refugee and Civil Internee Camp Operations

3 years with Raytheon, US Army Tank & Automotive Command, Supply and Services

2 years with the US Postal Service

10 years with DuPont as a Buyer and Trainer

24 years as a mother

8 years of which I home schooled my son

1 Associates of Business, Marketing

2 years with Macomb County Chamber in Business Development and Business Networking

It’s easy to see how the accumulation of these experiences makes me uniquely qualified for this type of mission work.

So how did I get this job, you ask? Well, some of the qualities that the Marine Corps helped me develop are confidence and teamwork. Some tasks, we learned, are more easily accomplished when we engage a network of brothers and sisters to help us achieve our goals. I knew I wanted to do this work, so I had a conversation with a good friend and told him about it. He suggested I contact Mitch Album, who recently took over operations of a mission in Haiti. Then it went out to our network and we continued to reach out until we found someone that offered us an opportunity for my friend to be face-to-face with Mitch. They had a conversation and the next thing I knew, I was having lunch with Mitch and telling him, confidently, about the various skills and abilities I possess and how I knew that I would be a benefit to his operations down here.

He asked me to fly down for a weekend to check it out and that was all she wrote. Once I spent a few days with these angels I was done for. My heart stayed here when I flew back to Michigan and it was all I could do to not quit my job that day to come down here. 

To be continued…

For more information on how you can help the mission, please check out HaveFaithHaiti.org or go to MitchAlbom.com and click on his charity link.

The expenses to keep me down here are about $1,200 a month. If you would like to make a donation towards this, please contact Mark Mendelsohn at havefaithhaiti@gmail.com for more information.

911 Remembrance: Igniting the Spirit of Unity

My fellow Marines,

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks upon this great Country we all have served honorably.  It was a terrible day in our most recent history.  As the other infamous dates in our history we will once again stop and remember.  We will mourn for those innocent lives lost.  3,063 that lost their lives on Tuesday Sept, 11, 2001.  The thousands PLUS that are still falling either from illnesses developed from cleaning up the devastation that was left in one of our greatest cities, the devastation at OUR Pentagon, the devastation left on a field in Pennsylvania.  Civilian heroes, Military heroes, First Responder heroes.  It wasn’t just ONE group attacked, it was ALL of US.

10 years have passed.  10 years.  I certainly remember the exact spot I was standing when the first Tower was hit.  I’m sure all of you have your stories too.  I also remember Wednesday September 12, 2001 and the days after.  It was a time where we as American’s brought forth our BEST.  It was a time when WE were WE.  WE were a total PEOPLE, brought together as American’s to help our fellow American, to rally around our Country and our way of life.  10 years have passed.  In those 10 years that unity has faded a little.  Now is the time to renew that unity.

The very SMALL chapter of Battle Born NV-1 has been a very BIG force in the organization of 911 Remembrance Las Vegas.  An organization that was founded by a fellow Marine and a 9/11 Survivor.  Battle Born members took on the monumental task of heading the committee to put on a 9.11K Run / 1 Mile Walk.  A competitive run.  Let me tell you…none of us on the committee has ever put together a running event.  Of the Battle Born members on the committee only 2 of us are runners and we’ve participated in different races from 5K’s to full marathons, we’ve never actually put one together.  But that has not stopped us…why?  Because we are MARINES.  We have been given a mission.  We will do what we do best:  ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION.

Once again I extend an invitation to ALL CHAPTERS AND MEMBERS OF WMA to participate WITH US.  What a GREAT PUBLICITY OPPORTUNITY FOR WMA if we had a show of FORCE of WMA members all wearing our green covers, our chapter shirts all working together.  This isn’t just a Battle Born project, this is a WMA project.  This is us showing the world once again that Women Marines step up with honor.  We need volunteers, we need participants.

On Sunday September 11, 2011 at 0546 Pacific time, (the exact moment the first plane hit in New York), we will be having a Processional.  This isn’t a “parade”, but a Processional.  Entries in this are Military, First Responders.  I personally registered an entry for WMA.  How great would it be to have as many CHAPTERS and MEMBERS marching with us to honor our country on that day.  Bring your flags, your banners.  I AM PERSONALLY OFFERING TO ANY WMA MEMBERS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE A PLACE TO STAY IN MY HOME.  I have LOTS of room and can house a bunch.  I have  4 couches for people to crash on.  I know that other members of Battle Born would also be willing to assist in accommodating our sisters who are coming to participate in this historic event.

Contact me  for any questions.  You may also go to www.911unity.org for information about the events themselves.

God Bless and Semper Fidelis!

Rosie Gregorec
Co-Chair 9.11K Run / 1 Mile Walk
911 Remembrance Las Vegas
Treasurer, WMA Battle Born NV-1 Chapter
Secretary/Treasurer WMiB NAT-1 Chapter
Life Member WMA

Lucille Ellen McClarren The FIRST woman Marine 1943

Recently I have had the great pleasure to be exchanging emails with Betty Harper the niece of Lucille McClarren. In her quest to know more about her Aunt and her illustrious career she has shared a bit with us in hopes that others who knew her will share memories of Lucille with her. Below are her recollections.

By Betty Harper

My aunt was Lucille McClarren, the first private enlisted on February 13, 1943.  She passed away in 1990, but prior to that time she told me some things about  her Marine experience. I have a copy of the Klondike Bulletin, Masontown, PA,  dated March 4, 1943, that provides some of the more personal information about her swearing in. But when checking the internet, although her name comes up many, many times, there is nothing beyond a reference to her as the first enlisted Marine. Years ago, while hospitalized at the Washington DC Vet Hospital, my aunt told me she had been the model for the uniform, a poster girl,  and had shared the podium with Eleanor Roosevelt, recruiting other women. She went to Hunter College and became the first female drill Sargent. (Her death certificate notes her as S/Sgt.) She told me about traveling by train to Camp Pendleton where she was responsible for dispatching soldiers home from the Pacific Theatre. I don’t know her career progression after the war, but she did finish her career as Secretary to the Secretary of the Navy in the Pentagon. I know she was there during the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missle Crisis as she mentioned JFK and Bobby being in her boss’ office. In the late 50′s or early 60′s she married William Desmarais, an employee of the FBI. (I believe he was an FBI fingerprint specialist.) Growing up, I adored my aunt; but my family didn’t
talk about her unique career. I am now 64 and eager to know more. I would appreciate any direction you could send me that might fill in the gaps.

Below is the article that was printed in the local newspaper.

Klondike  Bulletin

Masontown, Pennsylvania

Thursday,
March 4, 1943

Private Lucille Ellen McClarren, attractive 20-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Danniel E. McClarren of Nemacolin, has won the distinctive honor of being the first private of the United States to join the U. S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserves.  Miss McClarren has been employed as a stenographer in the war department at Washington D.C. since March 1941 and made her home at 404 Oakwood Street, S. E. that city prior to her enlistment Tuesday, February 16, 1943.  (This is inaccurate.  She was enlisted Saturday, February 13, 1943.)

The popular district girl enjoyed a short visit with her parents last week and reported in Washington for duty, Monday morning of this week.  Born at Graceton, Pa., the first girl Marine private in the country attended the Nemacolin grade schools and is a graduate of Cumberland Township high school, Carmichaels, Greene County, in the Class of 1940.

Following her enlistment, Private McClarren was sworn in by Captain H. W. Branson, of the Marine Officer Procurement Unit.  Now a reserve, she will be transferred to active duty with a starting salary of $50 a month plus a $200 allowance for uniforms.  She
expects to be ordered to report for training at Hunter College.

Despite her transfer of allegiance from the Army to the Marines, fellow-workers in the War Department entertained Pvt. McClarren at the swank Lotus Club in Washington Friday evening, December 19.  Attending the affair were two other Nemacolin girls: Mildred Wilson and Patricia Selvin (should be Slevin), both close friends of the honored guest.

Saturday, February 20, Pvt. McClarren was a guest at the Press Building during the Marine Day celebration.  Upon her arrival the new recruit looked in vain for another member of her sex–but — none were there.  Amid deafening applause she was escorted to
the front of the huge room where many high officers of the Marines had assembled. She was personally congratulated by Brigadier General Robert L. Denig, Public Relations Chief of the Marines.

Called upon for a speech, the Nemacolin girl responded but while here last week confided to friends that she had no more idea what she said than “the man in the moon.

Pvt. McClarren said: “With the Marine band and about 1600 fighting Marines, press reporters and high officials present, and me the only girl in the auditorium, you can imagine my excitement and joy. I was swamped for autographs and finally had to be escorted from the hall by an honor guard. Little did I expect when I left Nemacolin that one day I would receive all this publicity.  But you can tell everyone I’ll give my best and endeavor to emulate the brave men in the Marines by doing every assignment
given me to the very best of my ability.
I am happy and proud to be the first girl Marine private in World War II.”

Molly Marines 11 May 2011

The city of New Orleans dedicated the first United States monument of a woman in service uniform: “Molly Marine” November 10, 1943.  A local recruiter commissioned the statue to help recruit women during World War II. For female Marines around the world, Molly has come to represent the countless significant contributions they have made to the Corps. She has become a symbol of esprit de corps for all women Marines. Just before graduation from boot camp, the female recruits are asked to name one woman within their platoon who best exemplifies esprit de corps. Here, we celebrate two of our newest sisters, Privates First Class Michelle McEvoy and Tiffany Baker, who’ve been recognized as Molly Marines.

PFC Michelle A. McEvoy, Platoon 4015, O Company, Wood Dale, IL

“I was chosen as Molly Marine for my efforts of motivating my platoon and being someone that everyone can look up to. I’ve tried to set high goals for my platoon so that recruits would push themselves to be the best. When my fellow recruits see that one recruit can do something with 100 percent effort, they put out that much effort as well. This encourages recruits because we know that if someone didn’t step up and set these standards, it would be a domino effect and no one would put forth the effort. As Molly Marine, I have shown discipline and this has set the example for not only my fellow recruits to follow, but for me to follow as well. Even in times when I wanted to give up, I knew that I couldn’t because that would show my weakness to the platoon and others would think it would be okay to quit on themselves as well. Motivating the platoon helps recruits push through because they can see that we are all pushing through the same pain as a team. To me, Molly Marine is that female in the Corps that everyone should strive to be. I was chosen as the Molly Marine and the only thing I can hope to do is continue to set the example, give all I have, motivate others in the fleet and inspire other females to become a Molly Marine, whether they get recognized for it or not.”

PFC Tiffany L. Baker, Platoon 4014, O Company, Sigourney, IA

“Every recruit that stands on the infamous yellow foot prints has a reason for doing so. For some it’s educational benefits, others it’s the pride of belonging to the most elite fighting force in the world. But, for a select handful, the reasons run as deep and wide as the Marine Corps’ honored and respected history. It’s within these recruits that the true meaning of esprit de corps comes shining through…there is only one Molly Marine from the beginning to the end. For her, leadership comes naturally and it’s obvious. It’s a different type of leadership from the typical, in your face, Marine Corps way. She leads with her heart and mind working as one. She may not always be physically superior or be the top shooter. But what she lacks there, she more than makes up for in courage and enthusiasm. When there’s an obstacle, she’s the first to give encouragement and a solution to the problem at hand. She uses personal experiences to relate herself to her peers and proves that ambition, drive and patience are enough to conquer any and all challenges. The Molly Marine is a leader. She never withholds knowledge and is constantly seeking self-improvement. She knows her peers and constantly looks out for their well-being by always putting herself last. She’s always dependable and loyal. Above all, she has the endurance to stay mentally, physically and morally reliable. She exemplifies all traits that encompass our core values. She holds the respect of her peers by having the courage to admit her faults and the strength to overcome them gracefully.”