Women in the Marines

Women have been a part of the USMC since 1918.  The secretary of the Navy allowed women to enroll in 1918.  The first woman to become a marine was a woman by the name Opha Mae Johnson who was enlisted on August 13, 1918 where she would be put to the task for clerical duties.  The USMC women reserve was started in Feb. 1943.  On June 12, 1948 the Women's Armed Services Integration act was passed, which granted women permission.  In 1950 the women reserves were prompted for the Korean war with the total of women serving being 2,787.  By the time Vietnam came 2,700 women served over seas and stateside.  In 1975 the USMC approved women's assignments except infantry, artillery, armor, and pilot/air crews.  In the years 1990-91 over 1,000 women were deployed for Desert Storm. Today 6.2 % of the USMC is made of women.