Born: 2 October 1895, United States
Died: 30 September 1990
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Ruth Cheney
American military officer Ruth Cheney Streeter was the first director of the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve (USMCWR). She became the first woman to reach the rank of major in the USMC when she was commissioned as a major on January 29, 1943, retiring on 6 December 1945 as a lieutenant colonel.
After graduating from Bryn Mawr in 1918, Streeter lived in Morristown, New Jersey, where she was involved in community matters, including serving as the first woman president of the Morris County, New Jersey Welfare Board. She earned her commercial pilot’s license when she was 47, intending to become a military ferry pilot for the Navy’s women’s reserve, WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) or WASPS (Women Airforce Service Pilots). After the WASPS rejected her five times due to her age, Streeter gave up the idea of flying and joined the USMCWR, where she was commissioned as a major and appointed director on 29 January 1943, two weeks before its official creation date of 13 February. She was promoted to lieutenant colonel later that year, and breveted to full colonel in 1944 – a situation where a commissioned officer is allowed temporarily hold a higher military rank without the corresponding pay and allowances. Under her tenure, it grew to include 831 officers and 17,714 enlisted.
In addition to the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal, Streeter was awarded the Legion of Merit on 31 October 1945, and the citation reads, in part:
For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services while Director of the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve from February 13, 1943 to the present time. Appointed as Director of the Women’s Reserve which was non-existent, Colonel Streeter by her energy, force, tact, graciousness and superior judgment, planned and organized the Women’s Reserve, a branch of the Marine Corps consisting of some nineteen thousand women, which has proven to the satisfaction of all to have made a most valuable contribution to the part marines have taken in the winning of the war. Her courage and fortitude in the early days of formation of the Women’s Reserve and their first replacement of men for combat overcame the doubts of many and the reluctance to admit that women had a place in a military organization. She and the organization which she has so ably directed have attained a degree of efficiency second to none. Today this component part of the Marine Corps has the admiration and respect of the entire Marine Corps and of the whole nation. Her conduct throughout has been in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.