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MollyMarineGetsSomeOverdueRecognitionByMarcDeFrancisEspritEditorFromtimetotimeaseditorofEspritIhavetheprivilegeofobservingspecialYoungMarineevents.ThissummerIwasaguestattheNationalMuseumoftheMarineCorpsforaneventhonoringwomenMarines.DidyouknowthatwomenintheUnit-edStateshavebeensigningupfortheMarineCorpssince1918ManyAmeri-cansremainunawareofthelonghistoryofwomeninmilitaryservicetoAmerica.AndthatisonereasonwhytheWomenMarinesAsso-ciationandtheMarineCorpsHeritageFoundationdecidedthattheentrancetotheNa-tionalMuseumoftheMarineCorpsinQuanticoVAjustsouthofWashingtonDCshouldfeatureabronzestatueofMollyMarine.TheMollynicknamewascoinedduringWorldWarIIandisalsothenameofanawardgiventothetop-rankingwomanofeveryfemalerecruitplatoonatParrisIslandSouthCarolina.LastspringwhenitbecameclearthatadditionalfundingwouldbeneededtoerectthestatuetheboardofdirectorsoftheYoungMarinesprogramelectedtojointhetwoorganizationsintheeffortbymakingaverygenerouscontribu-tion.InJulythefruitofalltheseeffortswasondisplayatthepublicdedicationofthemuseumsMollyMarinestatuewhichreplicatesanoriginalerectedinNewOrleansbackin1943toencouragewomentojointheservicesinthewareffort.AsecondcopystandsatthePar-risIslandtheonlyrecruitdepotwherewomenjoiningtheMarineCorpsattendbootcamp.ThenewstatuewillservealargerpurposetorepresenttothewholepublicthecourageanddedicationofwomenMarinespastpresentandfuture.ThispastJulyYoungMarinesfromseveralunitsintheregionwereamongthe250peoplepresentattheopeningceremonies.TheyheardmovingstatementsfromMarineCorpsdignitar-iesincludingRobertBlackmanJr.aretiredlieutenantgeneralwhoisalsopresidentoftheMarineCorpsHeritageFoundation.SpeakingjustafteracolorguardoffourwomenMarinespresentedthecolorsMr.Blackmanrecalledhowinthe1970swhilehewasstationedinSanDiegohissuperiorofcerhadtoldhimhedberedifawomanwereallowedtoserveinhiscolorguard.Hedescribedtheremarkableseriesofchangesthathavetakenplaceoverthelasthalf-cen-turytothepointwheretodaywomenMarinescanservesidebyside.Listen-ingintheaudiencewerewomenwhohadservedintheMarines60yearsagoaswellasmanycurrentlyserving.NoonegotmoreapplausethanMajorGeneralAngelaSalinasthesixthfemaletoreachthegeneralofcerrankintheCorps.Dr.BettyMoseleyBrownasso-ciatedirectoroftheVeteranAdministra-tionsCenterforWomenandpresidentoftheWMAalsobroughtcheersfromthecrowdwhensheletoutaheartyoohrah.Wearehonoredwearethrilledbecausewehaveallearnedtheeagleglobeandanchorshesaid.WeareallMarines.YOUNGMARINESHONORINGWOMENMARINESYMOYDakotaRichterwithMajGenSalinas.YoungMarinesjoinDr.BettyMoseleyBrowninaheartyOoh-rahCherylBadorrekPhotographyESPRITFall201325PhotocourtesyWomenMarinesAssociation