In early 1949, Margaret Brewer’s attention was captured by a Michigan Daily headline: Gal Marines To Try for Commissions. As a sophomore, she already had an affinity for the Marine Corps, having met Marines who raised the flag at Iwo Jima in 1945. For the first time, the Marine Corps was offering college women a chance for regular or reserve commissions after two summers of officer training. Enthusiastic about the opportunity, Brewer enrolled.
Training at Quantico, Virginia, Brewer planned to finish her degree in geography, receive a commission as a second lieutenant, serve three years as a reservist, and pursue a master’s in conservation. However, this decision put her on a path to make history herself.
In her 28-year career, Brewer became the first woman general in the Marines, achieving the rank of brigadier general in 1978. She vividly remembered President Jimmy Carter nominating her: “Thursday, the sixth of April about 10:00 in the morning,” she later recalled.
Initially, women served as Marine reservists during World War II, gaining regular military status in 1948. Brewer’s duties involved supervising all-women companies and leading the Woman Officer School and Women Marines. In 1973, she spearheaded a report recommending that women be allowed in roles like military police and aircraft maintenance, advocating for their assignment to the Fleet Marine Force, excluding direct combat.
In an oral history interview, Brewer recounted discussing this bold proposal with General Robert E. Cushman Jr., who agreed with her vision. Cushman approved all recommendations, writing, “O.K.— let’s move out!” This led to women becoming MPs, welders, mechanics, and more.
Margaret Brewer, the last director of Women Marines, saw women become simply “Marines.” After retiring in 1980, she reflected on her career, noting she never felt discriminated against, but believed more opportunities should be available to women. Brewer passed away on January 2, 2013, at 82 in Springfield, Virginia.
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