Margaret Harwell Joins Marine Corps
Miss Margaret Harwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.H. Harwell, 119 Lindale avenue, has enlisted in the marines corps, and expects to leave Waterloo on April 25 to take up her training at Hunter College, New York City. She is employed at the Hinson Manufacturing company plant. Miss Harwell has one sister, Mrs. Don Trunnell, of 616 Olive street, Cedar Falls and one brother, E.E. Harwell, 560 Willard avenue, Waterloo fireman.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo, IA - March 19, 1943 (photo included)
Miss Margaret Harwell, a member of the marine corps, stationed at Miami university, Oxford, O., has been promoted from corporal to sergeant, according to word received here by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. E.H. Harwell, 119 Lindale avenue. She has a brother, a member of the Waterloo fire department and a sister, Mrs. Don Trunnell, 616 Olive Street, Cedar Falls. Miss Harwell was formerly employed at the Hinson Manufacturing company.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo, IA - December 21, 1943
Two Waterloo women marines, Margaret Harwell and Gertrude E. Mueller, have been advanced in rank according to word received here Wednesday from Miramar, near San Diego, Cal., where they are stationed.
Staff Sergeant Harwell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.H. Harwell, 314 Bryant avenue, now serves as commander of the military police guards in the women's reserve area and as property and supply sergeant for the women's reserve group at the marine air depot. A former employee of the HInson Manufacturing Co. here, she enlisted for marine duty in March, 1943, and received recruit training at Hunter college, N.Y. and attended non-commissioned officer's school at Camp LeJeune, N.C.
Sergeant Muller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Mueller, 1628 Baltimore street, is clerk-typist in depot headquarters at Miramar. She enlisted for marine duty in April 1943, received recruit training at Hunter College, N.Y., and attended storekeeper's school at the University of Indiana.
Source: The Courier, Waterloo, IA - November 15, 1944
A Woman Marine for 16 Years
Sgt. Margaret L. Harwell, woman marine, held a lonesome birthday celebration here Friday.
She has been a marine for 16 years. And Friday was the sixteenth anniversary of the women's marine corps.
Sergeant Harwell, formerly of Waterloo, the only woman marine on active duty in Des Moines, is the recruiter here.
The woman's branch of the marine corps was formed in February 1943. Some 18,000 women served in the corps during WWII in noncombat jobs.
At the end of the war, all were discharged except 200 who remained at marine headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The corps was reformed in 1948 and now about 3,500 women are regular members of the marine corps. The women take six weeks of basic training and four weeks of administrative training. But the women's branch of the marines is an infant compared to the men's marine corps - it was formed 183 years ago.
Source: The Des Moines Tribune, February 13, 1959 (photo included)
