2005 Observance of Women's History Month

1. MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. THIS YEAR'S THEME IS 
"WOMEN CHANGE AMERICA." THIS MONTH WE REFLECT ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS
AND SACRIFICES WOMEN HAVE MADE IN THE BUILDING OF OUR GREAT NATION
AND PRESERVING AMERICA'S FREEDOM. 
2. MARINE CORPS HISTORY IS FILLED WITH THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WOMEN 
MARINES. ON 13 AUGUST 1918, PVT OPHA MAE JOHNSON WAS THE FIRST 
WOMAN TO JOIN THE CORPS' RANKS. BY THE END OF WORLD WAR I, 305 
WOMEN HAD SERVED. SINCE THAT TIME, WOMEN HAVE SERVED AS MARINES 
IN EVERY CONFLICT AND HAVE PERFORMED ADMIRABLY. THE VIETNAM WAR 
SAW THE FIRST WOMEN MARINES TO SERVE IN A COMBAT ZONE. BY DESERT 
SHIELD AND DESERT STORM, WOMEN HAD BEEN FULLY INTEGRATED INTO 93%
OF ALL MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES. THE MARINE CORPS SAW ITS
FIRST WOMAN PILOT IN 1995; TODAY THERE ARE 144 WOMEN AVIATORS AND 
FLIGHT OFFICERS IN THE MARINE CORPS. 
3. MARINE CORPS HISTORY ACKNOWLEDGES COUNTLESS ACHIEVEMENTS AND 
NUMEROUS SACRIFICES BY WOMEN SERVING IN AND FOR OUR CORPS. THE 
ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE MARINE CORPS HAS EVOLVED AND EXPANDED. TODAY
THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS SPAN THE WIDTH AND BREADTH OF OPERATION IRAQI
FREEDOM AND THE DUTIES OF WOMAN MARINES ARE INDISPENSABLE. ALL 
WOMEN MARINES CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE PROUDLY, WHILE NEVER
FORGETTING THE WOMEN WHO MADE THIS FUTURE POSSIBLE. 
4. COMMANDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE ROLE
OF WOMEN MARINES. COMMANDERS ARE FURTHER ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT 
PROGRAMS AND PROMOTE PARTICIPATION IN OBSERVANCE EVENTS BOTH ON 
BASE AND IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND TO DEVELOP LOCAL THEMES FOR
USE AT THEIR COMMANDS.