kanemono Posted April 22, 2016 Share #1 Posted April 22, 2016 Here is a World War One, named, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal to Minnie Evangeline Wright who was born in Preston, United Kingdom, on August 1, 1890. She lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before enlisting as a private in the United States Marine Corps Quartermaster Department on September 17, 1918. She worked as a clerk at the Quartermaster’s Department, Marine Corps Headquarters, in Washington D.C. until July 31, 1919 when she was placed in the Marine Corps reserve. Wright was assigned to Marine Corps Reserve District, Richmond, Virginia. She was discharged from the United States Marine Corps on September 16, 1922 at Washington D.C. and recommended for a Good Conduct Medal. Minnie Evangeline Wright became a Naturalized Citizen of the United States of America on May 17, 1920. During WWI the Marine Corps experienced many casualties in Europe. Men were working at Marine Corps offices in the United States who could be sent overseas, their jobs could be filled by women. When the Marine Corps announced that women would be allowed to join to help “free a man to fight,” the response was overwhelming. In New York City over 2000 women showed up at the recruiting office. The greatest need was for stenographers, bookkeepers, accountants, and typists. Since there would not be time to train the women, the recruits had to be able to demonstrate their abilities and underwent rigorous exams. Two-thousand women applied in New York City only five were accepted. The 305 women selected for enlistment into the Marine Corps had unusually high speed and accuracy as stenographers and typists. Private Minnie E. Wright was one of those 305 woman Marines. Minnie Evangeline Wright Sayers died in Cape May, New Jersey, on April 5, 1986. She is buried at the Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery, Cape May, New Jersey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted April 22, 2016 Share #2 Posted April 22, 2016 This is an incredible bit of Marine history! Thank you for sharing it with us. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted April 22, 2016 Share #3 Posted April 22, 2016 You have BLOWN me away again!! How rare and amazing is this grouping! Thank you so very much for posting this amazing group. I now need to pick my jaw up from the floor and stop drooling! ....Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchbuff Posted April 22, 2016 Share #4 Posted April 22, 2016 Very nice! Thanks for letting us take a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted April 22, 2016 Share #5 Posted April 22, 2016 So, who has a GCM from the other women discharged in Sept. 1922? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanemono Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share #6 Posted April 22, 2016 Quite a few GCM's, I wonder where they all are. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted April 22, 2016 Share #7 Posted April 22, 2016 Quite a few GCM's, I wonder where they all are. Dick I count about 80 - I wonder if these were the only WWI Women Marines who stayed in long enough to qualify for a GCM? If so, that makes one of their GCM's very rare: even if all 300+ WWI women got them, that's still a very scarce medal. It makes me wonder though, did women who served only in the WWII Women Marines get a GCM? It doesn't seem like it was possible if four years service is required. The USMC WR's were started in 1943 and demobilized in 1946, so presumably they would have had to enlist in 1948 (when service was again opened up to women) or later in order to qualify for a GCM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted April 23, 2016 Share #8 Posted April 23, 2016 It makes me wonder though, did women who served only in the WWII Women Marines get a GCM? It doesn't seem like it was possible if four years service is required. The USMC WR's were started in 1943 and demobilized in 1946, so presumably they would have had to enlist in 1948 (when service was again opened up to women) or later in order to qualify for a GCM. The USMCWR was in existence until 1948. While is was announced the demobilization wouId occur in 1946, the book "Free a Marine to Fight: Women Marines in World War II", discusses some women being retained until 1947 with others being retained longer. Julia E Hamblet was the director of the postwar Women's Reserve 1946-1948. Julia E Hamblet was the director of the postwar Women's Reserve 1946-1948. There are different numbers of women being mentioned for different areas of the Corps so it might not be possible to know exactly how many women would have been in the Marine Corps long enough to earn the GCM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted April 23, 2016 Share #9 Posted April 23, 2016 The USMCWR was in existence until 1948. While is was announced the demobilization wouId occur in 1946, the book "Free a Marine to Fight: Women Marines in World War II", discusses some women being retained until 1947 with others being retained longer. Julia E Hamblet was the director of the postwar Women's Reserve 1946-1948. Julia E Hamblet was the director of the postwar Women's Reserve 1946-1948. There are different numbers of women being mentioned for different areas of the Corps so it might not be possible to know exactly how many women would have been in the Marine Corps long enough to earn the GCM. By July 1946 only about 1,000 of the 20,000 WMCR's were still in service and it would 1947 before any of them were eligible for the GCM: how many of those 1,000 were still in in 1947? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted April 23, 2016 Share #10 Posted April 23, 2016 By July 1946 only about 1,000 of the 20,000 WMCR's were still in service and it would 1947 before any of them were eligible for the GCM: how many of those 1,000 were still in in 1947? Accord to the book, 300 women were still in in 1947; 12 officers and 286 enlisted women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted April 23, 2016 Share #11 Posted April 23, 2016 Accord to the book, 300 women were still in in 1947; 12 officers and 286 enlisted women. So, very few GCM's then - maybe 286? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted April 23, 2016 Share #12 Posted April 23, 2016 So, very few GCM's then - maybe 286? I would assume yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted April 23, 2016 Share #13 Posted April 23, 2016 This name is familiar for some reason...did this group sell on eBay originally? Didn't know the Corps kept any females around so long after WWI. You want to talk about sexism of the era...a woman's stenography competition seems to be right up there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted April 23, 2016 Share #14 Posted April 23, 2016 This name is familiar for some reason...did this group sell on eBay originally? A similar thread on this grouping was started in 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teufelhunde.ret Posted April 23, 2016 Share #15 Posted April 23, 2016 Truly scarce when found together with the other accoutrements... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanemono Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share #16 Posted April 23, 2016 I originally posted this group in 2014. I have a number of groups to woman that should be posted together here so they can be properly acknowledged for their service. I bought this group from a friend, he didn't like pictures with his medals and we later found her portrait with a bunch of photographs. I also updated her biography with a lot of research. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted April 23, 2016 Share #17 Posted April 23, 2016 the original thread... http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/225308-1918-1922-marine-good-conduct-medal-to-minnie-e-wright/?hl=%2Busmc+%2Bgood+%2Bconduct# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted April 23, 2016 Share #18 Posted April 23, 2016 This group may shed some light on the service and awards of USMC Good Conduct Medals to WMs in WWII and later. It would appear that this WMs GCM period began in 1948 when she became a "Regular". In spite of approximately 29 months active duty durin WWII she did not receive her first GCM until 1951, three years after her entry into the "Regular" Marine Corps Ann Marie Kopp enlisted in the USMCWR in Chicago in July 1943. After recruit training at Camp Lejeune she was transferred to Camp Pendleton and assigned to the 'Women's Reserve Bn" She was promoted to Cpl in Dec 1943 and was honorably discharged Nov 23, 1945. She re-enlisted in the USMCWR on Sept 18, 1947 and her rank of Cpl was restored. In November 1948 she was in the first group of Women Marines sworn into the Regular Marine Corps bt CMC Cates. She served at various Posts and Stations around the U.S. primarily as an Admin Chief until her retirement as a GySgt on Aug 28, 1965. She earned a total of five Good Conduct Medals - the first in 1952. Her named, embossed medal is the latest date I have seen. Naming of USMC GCMs appear to have ceased in 1950. Semper Fi, Gunny........Bobgee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted April 23, 2016 Share #19 Posted April 23, 2016 GySgt Ann Kopp's mounted medal group - Obverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted April 23, 2016 Share #20 Posted April 23, 2016 GySgt Ann Kopp's mounted medal bar - Reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Linz Posted April 23, 2016 Share #21 Posted April 23, 2016 I wonder how many of those 80 WWI Women Marines were actually issued a Good Conduct Medal? Having only seen the one medal presented here, I think many of these Marines never got their medals. After WWI the Marine Corps would not have had the manpower to chase these folks down. Typical Marine Corps. I have never seen a Good Conduct Medal issued to a woman in the USMCWR for WWII service. I don't think any of them served long enough to earn one. All the named Good Conduct Medals to Women Marines I have seen have been dated 1951 or 1952 (which lines up with women reentry into the Marine Corps in 1948). These are scarce and well deserved medals. Semper Fi, Bruce Linz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted April 23, 2016 Share #22 Posted April 23, 2016 GySgt Ann Kopp's mounted medal group - Obverse img013 (2).jpg Bob, I suspect this was the typical combo stack of a WM of the era...I have this mini medal bar to Josephine Brock...same awards... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanemono Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share #23 Posted April 24, 2016 Great medal groups. Thank you for including them in this post. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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