World War II Honoree

Dorothy E. Klein Connors

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Jersey City, New Jersey

Honored By

Mrs. Barbara E. Pace

Relationship

Niece

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. MARINE CORPS WOMEN'S RESERVE AT NEW YORK CITY JANUARY 1944 AT AGE 20. REPORTED FOR ACTIVE DUTY ON MARCH 22, 1944 AND ENTRAINED FROM PENN STATION IN MANHATTAN TO CAMP LEJEUNE ON THE BANKS OF THE NEW RIVER NEAR JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA FOR RECRUIT TRAINING. CLOSE ORDER DRILL WAS USED TO INSTILL DISCIPLINE AND TEACH THE WOMEN TO RESPOND TO ORDERS WITH PRECISION. THEY WERE THE ONLY MILITARY WOMEN TO RECEIVE COMBAT TRAINING DURING BOOT CAMP. ENLISTED WOMEN WORE THE BRONZE EAGLE, GLOBE AND FOULED ANCHOR ON THEIR SERVICE UNIFORMS AND THE SAME LARGE CHEVRONS AS MEN. THEY WERE EASILY RECOGNIZED BY THEIR UNIQUE VISOR, BELL-CROWNED HAT, TRIMMED WITH A LIPSTICK RED CORD WHICH SET THEM APART FROM THE OTHER SERVICES. THESE WOMEN WERE RECRUITED TO FILL OPENINGS FOR 34 JOB ASSIGNMENTS THAT EVENTUALLY ROSE TO MORE THAN 200 JOB ASSIGNMENTS. AT THE WEEKLY SATURDAY MORNING MARINE CORPS WOMEN'S RESERVE RECRUIT DEPOT REVIEWS, THEY MARCHED TO THE RHYTHM OF THEIR OWN 'MARCH OF THE WOMEN MARINES.' SHE WAS PROMOTED TO CORPORAL AND WORKED AS A STENOGRAPHER IN THE NAVY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, NEW RIVER. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND A MARINE CORPS HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL BUTTON. HONORABLE DISCHARGE AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA ON OCTOBER 27, 1945.