HISTORY 1950 - 1953 Korean War Era Through 1954

Year: March 1950

Korean War and Women Marines

As a result of the Korean crisis and for the first time in American history, were called involuntarily to military service along with men. 

Year: March 1950

January 30, 1951

Korean War and Women Marines

Captain Mary J. Hale, organized a woman's reserve platoon that was attached to the 155 Millimeter Howitzer Battalion at the Naval air Station, Grand Prairie. Captain Hale, one of less than a dozen women to hold the rank of captain in the Marine Corps at the time will be made inspector-instructor for the platoon. 

January 30, 1951

Year: June 1950

Mobilization

Women Marines were authorized to comprise 100 officers, 10 warrant officers and 1,000 enlistees. Officers were trained at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, while enlisted women were trained at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina.  

Year: June 1950

July 27, 1953

Korean War Armistice Signed

It was evident that the women Marine program had undergone permanent change, but the urgency to implement new, as well as long-standing, requirements and regulations on behalf of women Marines subsided. 

July 27, 1953

In 1950, As before, a downsized military establishment rushed to call up, draft and recruit manpower, but recruitment numbers fell short of military requirements.  This resulted in the involuntarily to military service along with men.

In March 1950, at the beginning of the Korean war, there were only 28 regular officer and 496 regular enlisted women Marines and 18 reserve officers and 41 reserve enlisted women on continuous active duty.

At the peak of this mobilization, 2,787 women Marines stepped into leadership and administrative roles to free male Marines for combat duty.

Like the women of two previous wars, they stepped into stateside jobs and freed male Marines for combat duty.