Happy Birthday To The U.S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve – We Salute You

The history of women serving in the Marine Corp is a fascinating story and we'd like to say Happy Birthday to the U.S. Marine Corp Women's Reserve who turn 70 today.

It was on this day back in 1943 that the U.S. Marine Corps Women's Reserve was formed.

The United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve (USMCWR), was a "reserve" unit which provided women for shore duty in the Marine Corps to take over jobs so men could be released for combat duty.

By the end of World War II, 85% of all enlisted U.S. Marine Corps personnel assigned to Headquarters were women. These female Marines were assigned to many different jobs like radio operators, photographers, parachute riggers, drivers, aerial gunnery instructors, cooks, bakers and agriculturists just to name a small fraction of what they did.

In 1950, the Women Marine Corps Reserves were mobilized for the Korean War, and 2,787 women were called to active duty. At the peak of the Vietnam War, about 2,700 women had served both stateside and overseas.

Ladies...Thanks for helping kick butt worldwide for decades. Semper Fi!