Women and Men.. Equal
50 or so people gathered at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon January 23rd to say goodbye to retired Marine Master Sgt. Catherine G. Murray. The day was supposed to be a rainy day with a chance of thunderstorms but not a single rain drop fell. Murray, the first enlisted female Marine to retire from active duty would have said that it was not a miracle but a providential. Murray, who lived to be 100 years old, died Dec. 20 at her home in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She was a fierce supporter of the Marines until the day she died, Adkins said. Murray served for nearly 20 years after enlisting in 1943.
As the youngest of three children and the only girl, Adkins said, Murray was determined to defy gender norms and “create her own identity.” She was driving home from church on Dec. 7, 1941, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the attack on Pearl Harbor. Without telling her family, Murray decided then to enlist in the Marines, Adkins said. Murray was one of 50 women who were retained on active duty after World War II. Although she was surrounded by men, many of whom were her superiors, Adkins said Murray never stopped championing women’s rights and equality.
Despite a century’s worth of life experiences, Adkins said, Murray’s career in the Marines was the “highlight of her life. Murray had outlived her biological family, but on Tuesday both active and retired marines gathered to say farewell. Adkins wiped tears from his eyes while he watched the woman he had come to regard as his best friend laid to rest in a position of honor and respect.
This women deserves so much respect.. She was viewed as an image for women equality. She saw everyone as the same and treated everyone equally. She did things that proved women were capable of doing a “mans job”. She also had a lot of pride and didn’t let anything stand in her way. She had a point and wanted to prove it, without hesitation she enlisted after hearing the bombing in pearl harbor. She truly was a hero and changed the view of others towards women.
QueennnM • Feb 15, 2018 at 7:00 pm
I do believe in Women equality and power. Murray showed us as females a great reputation that we women’s can do anything just like mens can do. She is a great leader to look up to.
puppylove • Feb 8, 2018 at 9:21 am
Murray really did great things for women. I do wish their were more ladies as strong as her. She fought for our country while fighting for women’s rights. That is something to respect and admire. I do wish our generation has fighters like her not only in women’s right but everything else that we believe will make our nation brighter.