R 250830Z FEB 00
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//MP//
TO MARADMIN
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UNCLAS//N05354//
MARADMIN 107/00
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC MPE//
SUBJ/OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH//
POC/D. SOSNOWSKI/GS-13/CMC MPE/-/TEL:703-784-9371/TEL:DSN 278-9371//
RMKS/1. MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. THIS YEAR'S THEME IS "AN
EXTRAORDINARY CENTURY FOR WOMEN - NOW, IMAGINE THE FUTURE!"
2. WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH IS AN IDEAL OCCASION TO REFLECT ON THE
20TH CENTURY CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN HAVE MADE, AND CONTINUE TO MAKE, TO
OUR COUNTRY'S MILITARY HISTORY. HISTORY TELLS US THAT 33,000 WOMEN
SERVED IN WORLD WAR I AND MORE THAN 350,000 TOOK PART IN WORLD WAR
II. DURING THE KOREAN ERA, 120,000 WOMEN WERE IN UNIFORM AND OVER
10,000 WERE DEPLOYED IN THEATER DURING VIETNAM. DURING DESERT
STORM, OVER 40,000 OF THE TOTAL U.S. FORCES DEPLOYED WERE WOMEN.
THEIR DEDICATED SERVICE CONTINUES TODAY IN THE NUMEROUS OPERATIONS
TAKING PLACE AROUND THE WORLD.
3. IN TODAY'S MARINE CORPS, WOMEN SERVE PROUDLY AT BASES AND
STATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE. WOMEN'S HISTORY IN THE MARINE CORPS BEGAN WITH PRIVATE OPHA MAE JOHNSON, WHO ENLISTED IN AUGUST OF 1918 FOR
SERVICE DURING WORLD WAR I. SHE WAS THE TRAILBLAZER, AND MANY WOMEN
HAVE SINCE FOLLOWED HER EXAMPLE OF SELFLESS DEVOTION TO COUNTRY AND
CORPS.
4. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE
CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN AS INDIVIDUALS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS
ESSENTIAL MEMBERS OF THE WINNING MARINE TEAM. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER
ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN
OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
COMMANDERS ARE ALSO AUTHORIZED TO DEVELOP LOCAL THEMES FOR USE AT
THEIR COMMANDS.//
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