Posted on 04/18/2016 2:23:11 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Gallivan was one of the first women to sign up for the Marine Corps during the 'Free a Man to Fight' campaign
One of the first female World War II Marines celebrated her 100th birthday.
Family, friends and fellow Marine veterans held a tea party for centenarian Glady Ruth Gallivan at the Veteran’s Village of San Diego.
"I cannot believe it," she told NBC 7 Saturday. "It's amazing to think someone would do this just for me."
Gallivan decided to enlist in the service in 1943, saying there was little chance of advancing in her job at Nordberg Manufacturing.
“I was just tired of my job," she said. “Other than that it was just my idea.”
Gallivan joined during the “Free a Man to Fight” campaign when she was just 26. She served at Cherry Point in North Carolina before being transferred to Miramar.
During the war, female Marines didn’t get the opportunities men did. Instead, they served in motor transport, repair and as telephone operators among other jobs. “We couldn’t go overseas,” Gallivan explained. “Wherever they could put us, they put us. Going into the Marine Corps today is entirely different.”
She was honorably discharged in 1946 and went into civil service. Gallivan also settled into civilian life, getting married and having two boys.
But duty called again, and she eventually returned to her job after her children had grown.
Gallivan retired in 1985 after a lifetime in government service.
The Women Marines Association created a Facebook event asking people to send her birthday card — some coming from as far away as Japan.
Gallivan said her secret to a long life is to “forget about getting older.”
She now lives in Mission Village where she helps the community paper and appears at local schools on Veteran's Day.
Semper Fi, Marine.
Thank you for your service to our Nation.
I remember watching an old movie of the last one of the last, remaining Civil War vets marching in a parade.
There will come day when there will be few WWII vets to tell the story of the one of the greatest conflicts of all human history. What concerns me the most is that we will forget and history has a habit of repeating itself when people forget.
I saw a photo of a grizzled old Civil War vet greybeard climbing into a jet fighter. My late grandfather fought with the Canadian Army in WW1. Lot of history in a short time.
God Bless her. My aunt was a Marine also during WWII.
Happening now with the destruction of the Civil War, removing all the history of the South. Destroying all the monuments and removing the confederate flag. This is what happened in old Eastern Europe, destroyed artifacts in the name of Socialism and Communism!
Happening now with the destruction of the Civil War, removing all the history of the South. Destroying all the monuments and removing the confederate flag. This is what happened in old Eastern Europe, destroyed artifacts in the name of Socialism and Communism!
Looks great for 100.
Ditto. Marines. No Better Friend. No Worse Enemy.
The youngest WW II vet would be 88 (17 at enlistment) and born in 1928 or before.
As per wiki: According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 697,806 American veterans from the war are still alive as of 2016.
The last time I looked this stat up about two years ago, it was 1.7 million.
Also via wiki: In 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that 430 American World War II veterans died every day.
If this rate held steady until all were gone, it would be about 4 1/2 years. Obviously the mortality rates does not work like that.
Wow. I imagine it will drop dramatically in coming years. Sad. And it wasn’t just the vets but all citizens. Rationing, buying bonds, sending their sons off to fight. We were committed to win the war.
God Bless you Ma’am, thank you..... ever faithful.
Semper Fi.
L
“The youngest WW II vet would be 88 (17 at enlistment) and born in 1928 or before.”
My Dad was fairly young, enlisting in the USMC in 1944 at age 17, and serving two years before discharge prior turning 20 years old.
A little trip into the Pacific, amphib invasion of Okinawa, 45 days combat and serious injury, hospital Honolulu, recovery, ready for full duty when Truman bombed our enemy and got the fanatics to stop.
He would have been 90 in June of this year, ten years younger than this woman. Didn’t make it to 70.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.