Women Marines 1950 Dress Mess – Present Uniform

In 1950 a new uniform was created/designed for the Director of Women Marine, Colonel Towle. This was added because the Director of Women Reserve did not have an evening uniform. In 1953 When Colonel Hamblet became Director of Women Marines a similar uniform was created.

Between 1950 and 1964 only two evening dress uniforms were made. In 1966 the dress mess became available to all officers. SNCO’s where not authorized wear of the dress mess until 1972. Mess Dress has remained unchanged other than the blouse no longer contains ruffles. Officer Winter Dress: Women Marines did not have a dress blue uniform until 1952 .

During World War II and the seven years following, officers turned the winter service uniform into a dress uniform by exchanging the khaki shirt for one of white and the khaki necktie for one of forest green. Enlisted women had no comparable dress outfit. White mess dress uniforms for male officers first appeared in 1904 although blue mess jackets had been worn since 1875. The dark blue mess dress was redesignated as evening dress in 1922.

This uniform originally belonged to Colonel Michele Manning. (Picture and short biography provided. Colonel (Reverend) Michele “Mitzi” Manning (Originally from Washington D.C.)

Reverend Michele “Mitzi” Manning was born in Washington D.C. on June 15, 1943. Her father was a Marine serving in the South Pacific, so they didn’t meet until shortly before her 3rd birthday. She started school in D.C., but then the family moved to Michigan where Mitzi attended elementary, junior high, and high school, graduating from Wayne Memorial H.S. in
Wayne, MI in 1961.

She attended Eastern Michigan U., graduated in1965, and taught school in Taylor, MI for two years. Relocating to South Carolina, she taught for 3 more years in Georgetown, SC, and then received a M.Ed. from Winthrop College. She was recruited off the campus at Winthrop, and
reported for Marine Corps officer training at Quantico, VA on June 19, 1972.

For 27 years, she served on active duty with billets that included as a series officer at Parris Island, SC; adjutant at squadron, battalion, air station, and force level; Graduate Education Coordinator for the Marine Corps; branch head in Manpower, Officer Assignment Branch, HQMC; Commanding Officer, H&HS, MCAS Camp Pendleton; A/CofS G-1,
MARFORPAC; Commander, Western Sector U.S. Military Processing Command, and finally as Secretary, The Joint Staff. She was retired as a Colonel on June 25, 1999 at one of the first retirements held at the Women In Military Service for America memorial, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps(General Chuck Krulak) was the presiding officer.

Her decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with 3 stars, and the Navy Commendation Medal.

Following retirement, she used her GI Bill to attend Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C., graduating in 2003. In 2002 she was given the position as Older Adult Minister at Fairlington United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. She worked her way through the ordination process, was ordained, and served Fairlington from 2002-2012. Although retired from active ministry and living in North Carolina, she continued to serve the Virginia Annual Conference on the Board of Ordained Ministry until 2018 and by chairing the Clergy Grants and Loans Committee from 2017-2021. Proud memberships in both Girl Scouts of America (Curved Bar) and Delta Zeta Sorority (Order of the Golden Rose) are part of her early history.

She is a Life Member of Women Marines Association, The Marine Corps League, the Naval Institute, Disabled American Veterans, and a supporting member of both the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the Women in Military Service Memorial in Arlington Cemetery. She remains an active member of the Virginia Order of Deacons (UMC). She is also a Life Member of 2 chapters of the Women Marines Association, District of Columbia-1 (DC-1) and North Carolina-3 (NC-3).