Photo courtesy of Women Marines Association Joining the Marine Corps in 1918, Opha Mae Johnson was the firstwoman to ‘‘free a man to fight.”

Women’s history goes much deeper than the first woman Marine, and to show that Headquarters and Service Battalion will present a Women’s History Month celebration March 25 at Little Hall at 11 a.m.

The celebration will include skits andperformances to spread the knowledge of various women in U.S. history.

That history encompasses the Marine Corps as many female firsts paved theway for the evolution of the Corps weknow today.

Some of the few and proud women Marines are:

Captain Anne Lentz, a clothing expert who helped design Marine Corps uniforms was commissioned into the Corps in 1943, being the first woman commissioned officer.

Staff Sgt. Barbara Olive Barnwell, in 1953, became the first woman Marine to be awar-ded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism after saving a fellow Marine from drowning near Camp Lejeune, N.C.

In 1960, Master Gunnery Sgt. Geraldine Moran was the first woman Marine promoted to the rank of E-9. Following her, in 1961, Sgt. Maj. Bertha Peters Billeb was the first woman Marine to put on the rank of sergeant major.

In 1978 Col. Margaret Brewer was serving as the deputy director of the Division ofInformation at Headquarters Marine Corps when she pinned on the rank of brigadier general. Brewer became the first woman general officer.

In 2003, Capt. Vernice ‘‘Flygirl” Armourbecame the Marine Corps’ first black female pilot and was recognized by the Department of Defense for being America’s first black woman combat pilot with combat missions in Iraq.

Today, women make up 6.2 percent of the Marine Corps and occupy 93 percent of all occupational fields. Women Marines continue to carry on the traditions of the Corps as they open doors for other Marines to follow along that same path.

— Correspondent: meloney.moses@usmc.mil