By Elizabeth McLaughlin, NBC News
The first female Marine to retire from the U.S. Marine Corps was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday.
Catherine G. Murray, who passed away last month at the age of 100, enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in 1943 after hearing President Franklin D. Roosevelt announce the Pearl Harbor attack over the radio.
She transferred to active duty five years later.
Her first assignment was as a motor transport Marine during World War II.
After the war, she was one of the first female Marines transferred to Hawaii.
(Learn More. Retired Master Sgt. Catherine G. Murray Turned 100 on April 2nd 2017 so to celebrate her 100 years we highlighted some of her achievements while in the Corps. Courtesy of Bridget Bosch and YouTube. Posted on Mar 31, 2017)
During her service, Murray was a fierce advocate for women, once standing up to two colonels after she felt they were not giving female Marines enough credit, according to her YouTube channel.
In 1962, Murray was the first woman to retire from the Corps, achieving the rank of Master Sergeant.
(Master Sgt. Catherine G. Murray was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery Jan. 23, 2018. She was the first female Marine to retire from the Corps, serving honorably for nearly 20 years. She lived to be 100 and passed away peacefully Dec. 20, 2017. Courtesy of The Marines and YouTube. Posted on Jan 23, 2018)
Even after her retirement, Murray continued to serve her country, becoming the first enlisted woman to join the Fleet Marine Reserves where she served until 1972.
Murray passed away December 20, 2017.
ABC News’ Justin Tasolides contributed to this report.
Original post http://abcnews.go.com/US/history-making-female-marine-laid-rest-arlington-national/story?id=52581450
