Rose Franco
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| Rose Franco | |
|---|---|
| born January 22, 1934 | |
 CWO3 Rose Franco |
|
| Place of birth |  Guánica, Puerto Rico |
| Allegiance | U.S. Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1952-1977 |
| Rank | Chief Warrant Officer |
| Commands | Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy |
| Awards | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal |
CWO3 Rose Franco (born January 22, 1934 in Guánica, Puerto Rico) was the first Puerto Rican woman to become a Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
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[edit] Early years
Rose Franco was born and raised in Ensenada, in the municipality of Guánica, located by the Bahia de Guánica (Guánica Bay) in the southwest part of Puerto Rico. She was born into a very poor family, but unlike many children at the time, Rose finished her primary and secondary education. Rose went to college for a brief period of time, were she took classes in business administration.
[edit] Marine service
With the outbreak of the Korean War, Franco surprised her family by announcing that she was leaving college to join the United States Marine Corps. Her family protested, because they believed that a women's destiny was to get married and to raise a family as a housewife. Franco, however had her own ideas and felt that it was her patriotic duty to serve in the armed forces. On February 8, 1952, at the age of 20, Rose enlisted and was sent to Camp Lejuene in North Carolina where she underwent basic training. Upon graduation, she was sent to Camp Lejuene in North Carolina for advanced training. After finishing her advanced training, Rose was assigned to the duties of administrative supply assistant at Camp Pendleton in California.
In 1956, she completed her four year enlistment and returned to Puerto Rico where she went to work for Pan American Airlines. She found her office job in the airline boring and soon she re-enlisted in the Marines. She was assigned to the First Marine Corps District in Garden City, Long Island, New York. During the night she attended Long Island University . After two years there, she was sent to work as an administrator at Parris Island.
[edit] Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy
In 1965, Rose was named Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, Paul Henry Nitze by the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She was promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer by the recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy. She reported to work in The Pentagon in Washington, D.C.. At that time, she was only one of 11 women Warrant Officers in the Marine Corps. Rose held various important positions in the Pentagon during her career.
Rose Franco retired from the Marine Corps in 1977 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 and returned to Puerto Rico where she currently lives.
[edit] Military decorations
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal with 3 bronze stars
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Badges:
