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thedrifter
01-28-06, 08:32 AM
Women Marines to honor their history
By Linda McIntosh
UNION-TRIBUNE COMMUNITY NEWS WRITER

January 28, 2006

CAMP PENDLETON – Lillian Hagener has a hat for nearly every uniform she has worn during several decades in the Marine Corps.

The retired lieutenant colonel has Dress Blues hats and service hats for winter and summer in styles worn by Women Marines from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Nearly a dozen of her hats, known in the military as “covers,” will be on display at a celebration of the 63rd anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve on Feb. 11 at Camp Pendleton.

The covers will be one way to recall the history of the Women's Reserve since it began in 1943.

The event is hosted by the Southern California chapter of the Women Marines Association, named in honor of Edith Macias Vann, a World War I veteran.

Female veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam and newer members of the Corps will have a chance to swap stories and share camaraderie.

The event will celebrate the history of Women Marines, which goes back even farther than the formation of the Women's Reserve in February 1943.

It is said that the first female Marine was Lucy Brewer, who disguised herself as a man and enlisted as George Baker in the War of 1812.

But officially, women were not allowed in the Corps until World War I. Opha Mae Johnson is credited as having been the first female Marine. She enrolled for service on Aug. 13, 1918, according to the Women Marines Association.

During World War I, female Marines were known as Marinettes. Their duties were primarily administrative, said Eleanor Judge, a retired sergeant major who served in the Marines from 1949-80.

“It wasn't like now when women fight face-to-face with the enemy,” said Judge, a past board member of the Women Marines Association.

During the 63rd anniversary event, newer members of the Corps can hear history firsthand.

“We talk about our time in the Corps, how we lived and the way things were,” Judge said.

Judge and other members of the association have become mentors to the new generation of women Marines.

“It's all about ... what we've gone through to get where we are today,” said Peggy Reiber, a retired first sergeant who served from 1973-96.

The celebration will include a presentation of colors by the Oceanside High School ROTC, a cake-cutting ceremony and entertainment by the Oceanside Academy of the Performing Arts.

For event reservations, call Judge at (760) 439-1447 or Reiber at (760) 521-9093.

For information about the Women Marines Association, see www.womenmarines.org.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060128/images/nor_pendleton.jpg

DAN TREVAN / Union-Tribune
Retired Lt. Col. Lillian Hagener showed off the varied covers - hats - she wore during her career with the Marine Corps. The Women Marines Association is marking the 63rd anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve.

Ellie

jennifer
01-29-06, 07:32 PM
WOW THIS SOUNDS INTERESTING, I THINK ILL HAVE TO GO BUY THERE... THANKS DRIFTER FOR THE POST