HISTORY A Series of First

17 March 1947

Technical Sergeant Mary Frances Wancheck

black and white headshot of marine

Becomes the first Woman Marine to rate a “hash mark.” 

17 March 1947

8 September 1949

Sergeant Annie Graham

colorized photo of female marine wearing green uniform

First black women in the Marine Corps when she enlisted on Sept. 8, 1949.   

8 September 1949

13 June 1952

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ruth Wood

photo of female marine wearing uniform with ribbon bar

First women in the Marine Corps to be promoted to Warrant Officer.   

13 June 1952

1953

Staff Sergeant Barbara Olive Barnwell

black and white photo of woman receiving a pin

First female Marine to be awarded the Navy and Marine Corps medal for heroism for saving a fellow Marine from drowning in the Atlantic Ocean in 1952.  

1953

1965

Chief Warrant Officer-3 Rose Franco

First Hispanic woman to become a chief warrant officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.   

1965

18 March 1967

Master Sergeant Barbara Jean Dulinsky

Becomes the first woman Marine to serve in a combat zone in Vietnam. She was assigned to U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam combat operations center in Saigon.

18 March 1967

18 March 1967

Major General Angela Salinas

Becomes the first Hispanic woman to become a brigadier general in the Marines.

18 March 1967

Annie Graham blazed a path for future generations of Black women in the Marine Corps when she enlisted on Sept. 8, 1949. She served until 1952, and her legacy persists today. 

Please time to view link below: 

Barbara Jean Dulinsky was born on October 18, 1928 in San Francisco, California to Ross and Anna Noel Dulinsky. She has two sisters, June E. Dulinsky, Gladys Shook, and Alice L. Dulinsky Crump. 

Dulinsky first enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1951. She became the Senior Drill Instructor for female Marines at Parris Island, South Carolina.

Dulinsky went on a 18 hour flight and arrived at Bien Hoa Air Force Base just 30 miles outside of Saigon. When Dulinsky first arrived, she was held overnight due to safety concerns on the unsecure roads. The next day when she arrived in Saigon, she was given a briefing on security concerns, recognizing boob traps, and checking cabs. When Dulinsky set foot in Vietnam on March 18, 1967, Dunlinsky became the first female Marine to serve in a combat zone. She requested to be sent to Vietnam. She served as an administrative chief at U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Combat Operations Center in Saigon. Dulinsky’s choice to volunteer in Saigon opened doors for many women in the Marine Corps.

Dulinsky retired from the Marine Corps in 1974 and lived in San Francisco for a period of time until she moved to Kent, Washington. She lived there until she passed away of natural causes in 1995. She was 66.

Rose Franco was born on January 22, 1934 in the Puerto Rico. She initially pursued business administration when she attended college, but when the Korean War began, Franco decided to change course by leaving college and joining the United States Marine Corps. Coming from a traditional family, they protested against Franco’s decision, but Franco believed it was her patriotic duty to serve.

On February 8, 1952, Franco enlisted and went off to basic training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and later to Camp Lejeune for advanced training. Once she finished her advanced training, she was assigned as Administrative Supply Assistant at Camp Pendleton.

Franco completed her four year enlistment in 1956 and returned to Puerto Rico to work for Pan American Airlines. However she decided to re-enlist in the Marine Corps. Her new assignment took her to Garden City, Long Island, New York to the First Marine Corps District. After two years, she was assigned as an Administrator at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina.

In 1965, Franco became the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, Paul Henry Nitze by the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer by the recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy.  She reported to work in The Pentagon, holding several important positions during her time in Washington, D.C.. At that time, she was only one of 11 women Warrant Officers in the Marine Corps.

Franco retired from the Marine Corps in 1977 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 and returned to Puerto Rico where she currently lives.

Information from Foundation for Women Warriors

Ruth L. Wood, (1916-1986)  a native of Ticonderoga, on 7th January 1966 entered the U.S. Marine Corps history records by becoming the first Woman Marine Chief Warrant Officer.

Ruth was the only child of Joseph and Mary (Rickert) Wood. She graduated from Ticonderoga High School in 1934 and with the financial assistance of her aunt graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1938. She taught school for one year and later moved to New York City where she worked for REA (Railroad Express Agency) and graduated from Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School.

“Applied for officer training in MCWR (Marine Corp Women Reserve) … Interviewed – turned down for lack of leadership experience – wanted schoolteachers with 10 yrs. Experience (I had 1) – or been supervisor of an office force for 6 or 8 yrs… went back to work, thought it over for a month, — heard Boot Camp for Women Marines was being moved from Hunter College in NYC to Camp Lejeune, NC – huge Marine Base – wrote my parents asking what they would think of my enlisting….also asked my Aunt who had put me through Mount Holyoke – – she said the same thing – my life, etc. – wanted me to do what I wanted to do.” Enlisted on 19 June ((1943)) – for duration of the War plus 6 mos.—Sworn in –officer told us to raise our right hand – then said “Are you sure you want to do this??”

“On 24 Aug I left home for Boot Camp — by train from D.C. on a troop train – 235 of us on “sleeper” – arrived at Camp Lejeune, NC for 6 weeks.”

“A busy 6 weeks – beginning with a new vocabulary! – Ex. We “hit the deck” at 0545, swabbed the deck immediately, had chow in Mess Hall, lectures on: Classification – History of Mar Corps, Customs & Courtesies, Organization of Navy & MarCorps, care of the uniforms, drill every day (all loved that) had male D.I.s, First Aid, physical training, Training Films, chemical warfare & use of gas masks – everything done “on the double” – know what that means?? Marched to church on Sunday in 2 lines – Catholic or to Protestant Chapel. – Watched Parade and Review by Regiment – graduating every 2 weeks and new one starting training.”“Of course the biggest event for me was being selected for Warrant Officer.

On 14 April 1952 we took the 3 hour examination. I believe there were about 57 women applicants, and Lillian Hartley (Disbursing) and I (Administration) were two lucky one selected. We took the same exam the men did, at the same time, which included making decision on question whether to dig a one-man or a two man foxhole, when to retire from an air strip and by whose authority, etc!

A couple years later when the Marine Corps decided to select another women warrant, the Testing and Education Unit at Quantico, to say they couldn’t find a copy of the women’s exam and were quite astonished when I told them we took the men’s exam. They proceeded to make a separate exam for the women.

Three years later made “CWO-2….On 1 Jan 1961, I was the first women promoted to CWO-4, they made a big event of it (alto’ I had been the first CWO-2, and CWO-3 so it was quite logical ).. and I made permanent CWO-4 on 13 June 1967.”

Angela Salinas was born on December 6, 1953 in Alice, Texas. She was the youngest child of five. Born to native Texan parents, she is a descendant of one of the first civilian settlers in Texas. Salinas holds Bachelor’s degree in History from Dominican University of California and a Master’s degree from the Naval War College.

Salinas enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on May 1974 at Parris Island. She was subsequently assigned as a legal services clerk (MOS 4421) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment in Alameda, and the inspector-instructor staff for 4th Reconnaissance Battalion in San Antonio until 1977.

In 1977, Salinas was selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program and in December 1977 she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. She was subsequently assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Cherry Point and served as a legal services officer. In 1980, she was assigned to Woman Recruit Training Command at Parris Island, where she served as a series commander, executive officer, and battalion operations officer.

In 1986, Salinas assumed command of Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Maintenance Battalion until 1987, when she became the deputy G-1, 1st Force Service Support Group, both at Camp Pendleton. In 1988, she was transferred to serve as the executive officer for Recruiting Station Charleston, then assumed command the following year. In June 1989, Major General Salinas assumed command of Recruiting Station Charleston and became the first woman in the Marine Corps to command a recruiting station. In June 1992, she served as a Combat Service Support Ground Monitor for the Manpower Management and Officer Assignments at Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. She was responsible for the assignments of over 1,000 senior officers.

In 1993, Salinas became a Deputy, a Special Assistant for General/Flag Officer Matters, Office of the Director, Joint Staff at the Pentagon. In 1996, she assumed command of the 4th Recruit Training Battalion at Parris Island. In 1999, she served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-5, for III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. In May 2001, she assumed command of the 12th Marine Corps District, the first woman to serve as a Recruiting District Commanding Officer. From 2004 to 2006, Salinas served as Chief of Staff, Marine Corps Recruiting Command at Quantico.

On August 2, 2006, Salinas was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. On August 4, 2006, she assumed command of Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Western Recruiting Region in San Diego. She transferred to direct the manpower management, Manpower and Reserve Affairs at Marine Corps Base Quantico in August 2009. In March 2010, she was selected for promotion to Major General and promoted on May 12.

In 2013, Salinas retired after 39 years of military service as the highest ranking female in the USMC, at the time of her retirement. Salinas currently resides in Texas.