Marjorie Elizabeth Cavanaugh
Bio
Marjorie Cavanaugh joined the United States Army primarily to gain an education in addition to possessing a deep sense of patriotism. She attended basic training at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and subsequently began her service there as an Operations NCO. Her responsibilities included inspecting parachutes, making flight plans, scheduling pilots, keeping logs, typing, and other secretarial duties. She served until 1953 and attempted to go to college on the G.I. Bill; however, as a result of her perception of sexism, she did not complete her degree. She joined the American Legion and became the first female commander of her local post. She remembers her time in the military fondly and is proud of her service.
Video Clips
Knowledge, Firing, and Perception of the Korean War
Marjorie Cavanaugh discusses the extent of her knowledge of what was occurring in Korea and reflects on the slow communication during that time. She remembers her reaction to General MacArthur's firing. She comments on the American public's opinion of the role the United States played in the war and the difference in opinion compared to World War II.
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Treatment of Korean War Veterans and Women Veterans
Marjorie Cavanaugh discusses the difference in the treatment of World War II veterans upon the war's ending compared with Korean War veterans. She reflects on the impact of joining the American Legion after her discharge, saying it gave veterans a sense of belonging. She details her experience as being a woman veteran of the Korean War, remembering that women in the military were generally looked down upon.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvHiwUAd_eY&start=2185&end=2408
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/marjorie-elizabeth-cavanaugh#clip-2
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Perception of Women Veterans and Experiences with Sexism
Marjorie Cavanaugh shares her experiences as a woman veteran, recalling implied sexism through newspaper articles and radio programs/news. She provides a specific example that happened directly to her upon her attempting to enroll in college using the G.I. Bill. She notes this interaction was just one of many obstacles she faced as a woman veteran.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvHiwUAd_eY&start=2412&end=2563
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/marjorie-elizabeth-cavanaugh#clip-3
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Impressions of the Treatment of Women in the Military
Marjorie Cavanaugh recalls the treatment of women in the military as being very good, saying that she had good experiences and never felt deterred while in the military. She remembers her treatment upon leaving the military was much worse than the treatment she received while serving. She discusses being treated fairly by men while serving but details the caste system between enlisted servicemembers and officers.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvHiwUAd_eY&start=2640&end=2855
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/marjorie-elizabeth-cavanaugh#clip-4
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Thoughts on the Racial Integration of the Armed Services
Marjorie Cavanaugh speaks about the racial integration of the military, offering her thoughts and experiences specifically as well as other examples she noticed second-hand. She remembers the differences in opinion based on the region where the service members were from, noting that she believes the women from the South likely did not like having to take orders from their African American officers.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvHiwUAd_eY&start=3070&end=3270
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/marjorie-elizabeth-cavanaugh#clip-5
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