thedrifter
01-24-08, 07:59 AM
ONE OF THE FEW, THE PROUD AMONG THE FIRST WOMEN MARINES
By Tammy Asnicar
RR Press Staff Writer
Bernice Dodd said she has "had an
interesting life for a Minnesota farm girl."
A call during World War II to "Free a
Marine to Fight" prompted her to enlist as a
Marine on March 9, 1943, only a month
after President Franklin D. Roosevelt
approved the organization of the United
States Marines Corps Women's Reserves.
On February 13, the U.S. Marines
Corps will celebrate the 65th anniversary of
the Women's Reserves. Dodd is proud to
say she was among the first women to
serve as a Marine.
Last Friday, Dodd was honored by the
Rogue Valley Detachment of the Marines
Corps League for her 65 years of service as
a Marine, a Marine's wife, and most recent-
ly, a devoted volunteer in the league and
mentor for the Young Marines.
About 75 people attended the league's
annual awards dinner at the Veterans of
Foreign Wars hall in Rogue River. Dodd
said that she was "shocked" to have the
spotlight on her.
In poor health, Dodd is preparing to
"ship out" to Southern California to live with
her son, Carl. Friday's ceremony was the
local league's send-off to "Bea", an officer
and a lady.
Dodd has been active with the Rogue
Valley Detachment since 1986, and served
as commandant, public relations officer,
and other posts.
One office Dodd held was aide de
camp, or confidant to the commandant.
She said she had to advise new leaders
occasionally "on how to run a meeting."
"Some of them didn't know beans from
buckshot," she said.
"I was the first woman aide de camp for
our local organization," she said. "I believe
it laid the foundation for other women
statewide and nationwide."
In her role as aide de camp, she also
made sure that the local detachment ful-
filled its mission of "taking care of its
own."
She is also considered "a pedigree" in
the Military Order of Devil Dogs---an
honor society within the league "devot-
ed to fun." On Friday, she wore her yel-
low Devil Dog ribbon with honor.
Former commandants Lee Frakes
and John Woods touted her accom-
plishments as they presented her with a
clock.
Vern Caldwell, an adult leader in
the Young Marines, told the audience
that "the whole Young Marine program
has benefited significantly from her
help."
His daughter, Amelia, one of
Dodd's protégées, presented her with a
plaque on behalf of the Young Marines
and thanked her for her encourage-
ment.
As a young woman, Dodd
did not need much prodding to
serve her country.
Due to poor eyesight, her
brother, Arthur, could not
serve.
"We had a big farm in
southwestern Minnesota, and
it produced a lot of food," she
said. "It was decided that
(Arthur) was more valuable to
the service of his country as a
farmer.
"I took his place," she said.
She opted for the Marines
because "whenever we dis-
cussed the military at home, it
was always thought that the
Marines were the best." The
Marines' pitch was that
women serving stateside
"would free a Marine" for com-
bat.
At 23, she shipped off to
boot camp at Hunter's College
in the Bronx of New York City.
The fledging Women's
Reserves did not have their
own facilities, and shared the campus with
the female naval cadets in the WAVES.
Tapped for training as a parachute rig-
ger, she was transferred to Lakehurst, New
Jersey, and then later to Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station in North Carolina.
While in New Jersey, she was among five
chosen to sit in the audience during Eleanor
Roosevelt's Sunday afternoon radio pro-
gram.
Afterward, the First Lady interviewed
the new "soldiers"--- she was curious about
how they were adjusting to military life.
"She was so warm to us, and we were
comfortable sitting there talking to her," said
Dodd. "Her husband had signed the order,
and she interviewed us so she could report
back to him. She was FDR's eyes and
ears."
Two months later, Dodd was aboard the
first women's troop train headed to
Southern California and the El Toro Marine
Corps Base, near Santa Ana, Calif.
There is where she spent most of her
time, "rigging parachutes."
She packed and maintained the silk
parachutes for the troops---the "shoots"
were an important life-saving tool used
when a pilot was shot down or forced to
bail.
Typically, parachute riggers were
required to make two jumps before they
could receive their certification.
"But, the commandant of the Marines
Corps issued an order that said no woman
would jump," she said. "They did not know
how the jarring action of the parachute
opening and the landing would affect a
woman's reproductive organs.
"There was a lot they did not know," she
said. "We were guinea pigs."
In El Toro, Dodd met her future hus-
band, Harrison "Lee" Dodd. When she
became pregnant with their first child,
Karen, she had to leave the Marine Corps.
In 1944, there were no maternity uniforms
or maternity leave. She left the Corps as a
corporal.
Over the next 30 years, the family fol-
lowed her husband from post to post---trav-
eling from Southern California to North
Carolina to Florida and back to California.
When her husband was overseas in the
Philippines, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, she
and the two children stayed with family in
Minnesota.
"We went from one end of the country to
the other," she said. "My children learned
more geography than they would have from
a textbook."
After her husband's retirement as mas-
ter sergeant, they moved to Grants Pass in
1978. She has been a widow since 1982.
Her 18 months as a Marine was "an inter-
esting time" she said, adding that she
"would not trade a $1 million for the experi-
ence."
Semper Fi---always faithful---once a
Marine, always a Marine.
Ellie
By Tammy Asnicar
RR Press Staff Writer
Bernice Dodd said she has "had an
interesting life for a Minnesota farm girl."
A call during World War II to "Free a
Marine to Fight" prompted her to enlist as a
Marine on March 9, 1943, only a month
after President Franklin D. Roosevelt
approved the organization of the United
States Marines Corps Women's Reserves.
On February 13, the U.S. Marines
Corps will celebrate the 65th anniversary of
the Women's Reserves. Dodd is proud to
say she was among the first women to
serve as a Marine.
Last Friday, Dodd was honored by the
Rogue Valley Detachment of the Marines
Corps League for her 65 years of service as
a Marine, a Marine's wife, and most recent-
ly, a devoted volunteer in the league and
mentor for the Young Marines.
About 75 people attended the league's
annual awards dinner at the Veterans of
Foreign Wars hall in Rogue River. Dodd
said that she was "shocked" to have the
spotlight on her.
In poor health, Dodd is preparing to
"ship out" to Southern California to live with
her son, Carl. Friday's ceremony was the
local league's send-off to "Bea", an officer
and a lady.
Dodd has been active with the Rogue
Valley Detachment since 1986, and served
as commandant, public relations officer,
and other posts.
One office Dodd held was aide de
camp, or confidant to the commandant.
She said she had to advise new leaders
occasionally "on how to run a meeting."
"Some of them didn't know beans from
buckshot," she said.
"I was the first woman aide de camp for
our local organization," she said. "I believe
it laid the foundation for other women
statewide and nationwide."
In her role as aide de camp, she also
made sure that the local detachment ful-
filled its mission of "taking care of its
own."
She is also considered "a pedigree" in
the Military Order of Devil Dogs---an
honor society within the league "devot-
ed to fun." On Friday, she wore her yel-
low Devil Dog ribbon with honor.
Former commandants Lee Frakes
and John Woods touted her accom-
plishments as they presented her with a
clock.
Vern Caldwell, an adult leader in
the Young Marines, told the audience
that "the whole Young Marine program
has benefited significantly from her
help."
His daughter, Amelia, one of
Dodd's protégées, presented her with a
plaque on behalf of the Young Marines
and thanked her for her encourage-
ment.
As a young woman, Dodd
did not need much prodding to
serve her country.
Due to poor eyesight, her
brother, Arthur, could not
serve.
"We had a big farm in
southwestern Minnesota, and
it produced a lot of food," she
said. "It was decided that
(Arthur) was more valuable to
the service of his country as a
farmer.
"I took his place," she said.
She opted for the Marines
because "whenever we dis-
cussed the military at home, it
was always thought that the
Marines were the best." The
Marines' pitch was that
women serving stateside
"would free a Marine" for com-
bat.
At 23, she shipped off to
boot camp at Hunter's College
in the Bronx of New York City.
The fledging Women's
Reserves did not have their
own facilities, and shared the campus with
the female naval cadets in the WAVES.
Tapped for training as a parachute rig-
ger, she was transferred to Lakehurst, New
Jersey, and then later to Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station in North Carolina.
While in New Jersey, she was among five
chosen to sit in the audience during Eleanor
Roosevelt's Sunday afternoon radio pro-
gram.
Afterward, the First Lady interviewed
the new "soldiers"--- she was curious about
how they were adjusting to military life.
"She was so warm to us, and we were
comfortable sitting there talking to her," said
Dodd. "Her husband had signed the order,
and she interviewed us so she could report
back to him. She was FDR's eyes and
ears."
Two months later, Dodd was aboard the
first women's troop train headed to
Southern California and the El Toro Marine
Corps Base, near Santa Ana, Calif.
There is where she spent most of her
time, "rigging parachutes."
She packed and maintained the silk
parachutes for the troops---the "shoots"
were an important life-saving tool used
when a pilot was shot down or forced to
bail.
Typically, parachute riggers were
required to make two jumps before they
could receive their certification.
"But, the commandant of the Marines
Corps issued an order that said no woman
would jump," she said. "They did not know
how the jarring action of the parachute
opening and the landing would affect a
woman's reproductive organs.
"There was a lot they did not know," she
said. "We were guinea pigs."
In El Toro, Dodd met her future hus-
band, Harrison "Lee" Dodd. When she
became pregnant with their first child,
Karen, she had to leave the Marine Corps.
In 1944, there were no maternity uniforms
or maternity leave. She left the Corps as a
corporal.
Over the next 30 years, the family fol-
lowed her husband from post to post---trav-
eling from Southern California to North
Carolina to Florida and back to California.
When her husband was overseas in the
Philippines, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, she
and the two children stayed with family in
Minnesota.
"We went from one end of the country to
the other," she said. "My children learned
more geography than they would have from
a textbook."
After her husband's retirement as mas-
ter sergeant, they moved to Grants Pass in
1978. She has been a widow since 1982.
Her 18 months as a Marine was "an inter-
esting time" she said, adding that she
"would not trade a $1 million for the experi-
ence."
Semper Fi---always faithful---once a
Marine, always a Marine.
Ellie