Yokosuka Sailors Reflect On legacy of Loretta Perfectus Walsh
By MC2(SW) Devon Dow, Navy Public Affairs Support Element Japan

At the tender age of 18, Loretta Perfectus Walsh became the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Navy and the first woman to assume the rank and responsibilities of a chief petty officer (CPO) on March 21, 1917.

News of the Philadelphia native’s enlistment as a chief Yeomen (F) during the days of World War I attracted national media attention. In the headline of the New York Times article written about her enlistment, it was said that Walsh had set a “precedent for the world.”

Before Walsh, women had served in the U.S. military as nurses, but not entitled to rank, retirement benefits or the equal pay of their male counterparts.

What began with one woman’s four-year military commitment to service has grown to more than 53,000 women serving in various fields of today’s Navy, ranging from ship’s company deck seaman to commander of a carrier strike group.

Following in the legacy of Walsh today are approximately 2,550 CPO females serving throughout the Navy. While their pay is substantially higher than Walsh’s $28.75 monthly earnings during the days of World War I, the mission remains the same, leading and mentoring Sailors and junior officers.

“Walsh is a great representative of the Navy by displaying what can be done with hard work, courage and commitment to service. It is because of her determination and the many brave women of the U.S. Navy who followed her, that I am able to pursue my goals in the Navy today,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) (AW/SW) Rodeliza Declaro Santiago, from Alameda, Calif. “Since the day Walsh enlisted, a lot of advancements and opportunities have opened up for females in the Navy. The future looks very bright, not only for women of the Navy, but for the Navy as a whole.”

Walsh’s call to duty came during the World War I era in an effort to meet the needs of military clerical shortages. The Yeomen (F), or “Yeomanettes” as they were commonly known, exceeded more than 11,000 active duty members during the war. They primarily served in secretarial and clerical positions, though some were translators, draftsmen, fingerprint experts, ship camouflage designers and recruiting agents.

Following the post war military scale down, women serving in the Yeomen (F) community were all eventually relieved of active duty. Walsh officially finished her enlistment on March 17, 1921.

The last known veteran of the Yoemanettes was Charlotte Louise Berry Winters, who was also the last surviving female American veteran of World War I. She was laid to rest with full military honors in March of 2007 at the age of 109.

Personnel Specialist 3rd Class Petty Officers, Sally Robels, a native of Phoenix and Tiffany Burckhardt, from Ocala, Fla., both are enlisted surface warfare qualified, and assigned to USS George Washington (CVN 73). They agree that the sacrifices made by the women before them in the U.S. Navy helped pave the way for future generations and strengthen the Navy.

“Coming into the Navy, I had the ability to choose from so many rates. I liked the freedom of being able to do that,” Burckhardt said. “I do not think that any of it would be possible if it were not for the dedication and hard work of women before us who proved to the Navy that they had what it took.”

“In the Navy today, I believe women have more options and benefits than ever before,” Robels said. “As long as we try, the Navy allows us to succeed. It is good to know that the Navy knew they could count on women during World War I, and that the women rose to the occasion giving Sailors like me a chance to serve in the Navy.” The legacy of Walsh is one of great importance and a hallmark in U.S. Naval history. The day she enlisted is recognized by the Historical Naval Center. She has also been memorialized in poetry and served as an inspiration for the book, “Crossed Currents: Navy Women from WWI to Tailhook.”

“The Navy has changed dramatically for women since Walsh first enlisted, I am sure she would be pleased and impressed if she saw everything women can do in the Navy today,” said Interior Communications Electrician (SW/AW) 2nd Class Casandra Richardson of Hampton Va. “There have been many improvements made in the Navy for women to work on various platforms and many of those improvements come from women like Walsh who made strides for the future of women in the Navy.” Following her death at the age of 29 on Aug. 5, 1929, Walsh was laid to rest in Olyphant, Pa. A passage from the inscription on her monument reads these lasting words, “Her comrades dedicate this monument to keep alive forever memories of the sacrifice and devotion of womanhood.”