Celebrating March as Women’s History Month

Submitted by

Veteran & Family Services Office

Army Soldier Lori Ann Piestewa was born Dec.14, 1979 and died in Iraq on March 23, 2003 while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

A Hopi born in Tuba City, Piestewa was the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the United States military and the first female in the U.S. military killed in the Iraq War.

As he unit was ambushed, Piestewa drove her vehicle and passengers at high speed in an attempt to get to safety. They were hit by a rocket propelled grenade. Three soldiers died while Lori and 2 other female soldiers were taken as Prisoners of War. Lori succumbed to her injuries not long after.

PFC Piestewa posthumously received a Purple Heart, Prisoner of War Medal and was promoted to Specialist.  Arizona’s Piestewa Peak in the Phoenix Mountains is named in her honor.

In 2018, she was one of the first inductees of the National Native American Hall of Fame.

Opha May Johnson was the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1918, at the age of 39 years old. She was a college graduate that filled a clerical role that would “Free A Man To Fight”.

Loretta Walsh (Navy) was the first U.S. enlisted woman to join in 1917.  The Navy authorized the enlistment of “qualified persons.” Since men were slow to join, the hope was that more men would follow suit after the enlistment of the first woman.

Twins Genevieve and Lucille Baker (19 years old), and Myrtle Hazard were officially the first women in the Coast Guard. Women had served as civilians since the 1830’s. The twins transferred from the Naval Coastal Defense Reserve. There is still debate on whether the twins or if Myrtle were first in the Coast Guard. Either way, Myrtle was the first to take the oath of enlistment for the Coast Guard.

Esther Blake was the first woman to serve in the U.S. Air Force. She was a widow and both of her sons were serving. One of her sons was piloting a B-17 in 1944, when he was shot down over Europe. In 1948, the newly formed Air Force authorized women to enlist. Blake enlisted within the first hour on the first day.

Deborah Sampson was an indentured servant that joined the Continental Army in 1782. Since women weren’t allowed in the military, she disguised herself as a man and joined under the name of Robert Shurtleff.  She was injured multiple times including a saber to the head and a gunshot wound to the thigh. Out of fear of being discovered, she let the doctor treat her head wound, but not the gunshot wound. She removed the musket ball from her thigh herself. Another time, she became gravely ill. The doctor discovered her gender, but didn’t tell anyone. Eventually, the truth was revealed and General George Washington discharged her in 1783. The back of her tombstone reads, Deborah Sampson Gannett, Robert Shurtleff, The Female Soldier Service 1781-1783.