Molly Marine on Memorial Day

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Molly Marine replica
A salute to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice serving in the US Armed Forces. This year let's tip the hat to the ladies who served in the Marine Corps.   
Molly Marine has the distinction of being the first statue of a service woman in uniform in the United States. Erected in 1943 in New Orleans, the original statue was used to encourage women to join the Marines during WWII. Artist Enrique Alferez created the monument from a composite of a few female Marine models. More information here. 2 full sized replicas were later made and stand at Quantico, VA and Parris Island, SC- training centers for women Marines. 
Pictured above is a small replica that I found at the local antique store. It probably sat in some Marine recruiter's office for years before findings its way to Moorhead.
Actress Bea Arthur, famous for the TV programs "Maude" and "Golden Girls,"  joined the Marines a few months before Molly appeared. Then known as Bernice Frankel, the future actress drove trucks for the Women's Reserve. 

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