Loretto Perfectus Walsh
Olyphant, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Recognized as the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Navy--on March 21, 1917, sixteen days before the nation entered WWI. As a Chief Yeoman (F), she served in Philadelphia; was discharged 1919. Born (1896) and raised in Olyphant; died in 1925.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On March 21, 1917, just sixteen days before the United States formally entered World War I, Loretto Perfectus Walsh became the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Navy, serving as a Chief Yeoman (F) in Philadelphia. Born in Olyphant in 1896, she was part of a wave of women who stepped into naval clerical and support roles so that men could be sent to the front. Discharged in 1919, she died young in 1925, but her enlistment marked a genuine milestone.
Why it matters
Walsh's enlistment opened formal military service to American women, a landmark step in both women's history and the nation's armed forces.
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Related people
- · Loretto Perfectus Walsh
Related events
- · World War I
Themes & tags
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