Guest Column
Carl J. Asszony
Women in the military are often forgotten
In a nation that glorifies athletes and entertainers, we often forget the real heroes in society. Only in time of national crisis or emergency do we even give thought to the courageous men and women, who serve, suffer and sacrifice for this country – our military personnel. It is likely, therefore, that not many people are aware of the heroic efforts and achievements of the women, who serve and have served in our nations military; many gave that ultimate sacrifice.
From the days of the American Revolution, women have served on the battlefield in defense of this great nation. Most of us have heard of Mary Hays McCauley (Molly Pitcher) and her bravery at the Battle of Monmouth and but similar deeds were performed by Margaret Corbin at the battle of Fort Washington, and the Native American, Tyonajanegen, wife of an American officer, who rode by his side into battle. The courage and tenacity of women did not stop there, Mary Walker, a surgeon during the Civil War, was the first and only woman to receive the nation’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for her brave exploits on the battlefield, even enduring a brief imprisonment as a prisoner of war.
For the periods of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm, hundreds of women serving in the military died because of a rampant spread of disease, were killed in accidents, or were killed by enemy fire. Hundreds more were captured by the enemy and some were held as prisoners of war for years.
Because of the shortage of manpower during World War II the Army (at this time the Air Force was still under the Army,) Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard formed special women’s components "for the duration of the emergency and six months." It wasn’t until The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 that women in all branches of military service became members of the "Regular Armed Forces." But, restrictions still prevailed, and a 2 percent ceiling was imposed on the number of women in the military with restrictions on promotions. In addition, no women could fly an aircraft in combat nor be assigned to a naval vessel involved in combat. It would not be until 1967 when President Lyndon Baines Johnson would remove the ceiling on the numbers of women in the military as well as promotion limits. It would, however, be decades before restrictions to the same activities as men would be lifted.
The space program is not considered a military program although military personnel from various branches have been involved. All of us have heard of Mercury 7 and Lt. Col. John Glenn’s historic orbiting of the earth in 1962. But, how many have heard of Mercury 13? In 1960 a secret mission was developed to train women to become astronauts. Among these candidates was Jerrie Cobb, who had twice the flying hours of John Glenn and three times the flying hours of Scott Carpenter, whose tests results for the program, both physical and mental, were so outstanding that she was sent to the next phase of training, along with the other twelve women pilots. In 1961 and without warning, the program for women astronauts was canceled. The government used the weak excuse that the women pilots had not gone through jet training at Edwards Air Force Base; the irony was that women pilots at that time were not eligible for that training. Twenty-two years later, Dr. Sally Ride, a physicist, would become the first American woman in space as a crew member aboard the shuttle Challenger. Thirty-four years after the cancellation of the first women’s astronaut program, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins in 1995 would become the first woman pilot of a space craft Discovery. At age 76, John Glenn was permitted to fly again in space. At age 67 Jerrie Cobb was still denied her place in history and never offered the opportunity for space flight.
The controversy over women in combat still continues, despite the fact there are women pilots flying attack missions over Afghanistan, which the news media seems to ignore, and that women are crew members aboard naval vessels involved in combat missions. In the warfare of today, hostile borders become blurred and enemy shells, rockets, and bullets do not discriminate because of sex. History is replete with lists of military women, who served in combat zones bravely and heroically, and have been awarded commendations and combat medals for their extraordinary actions above and beyond the call of duty.
The women of today’s military fill many positions from enlisted ranks to generals and admirals; from crew members to ship’s commanders; from pilots to air traffic controllers; from astronauts to flying B-52’s, and so much more. At present, a female brigadier general has taken over command of New Jersey’s McGuire Air Force Base. No matter what their rank or status, Lt. Melony Lynch, a combat pilot, had this to say: "Sometimes people forget that there are so many men and women of all ages and backgrounds, doing amazing things in the military. They’re serving our country because they want to and because they love what they do. Sometimes it takes a tragedy for people to realize that they’re doing it every day for you, for me, for all our families." This should be a reminder of what President Calvin Coolidge said, "The nation that forgets it’s defenders will itself be forgotten."
Carl J. Asszony is the Middlesex County veterans services coordinator