Choctaw Strong Intermingled With Semper fidelis – Always Faithful2
Halloween is over and the American public is now focused on Thanksgiving and Christmas. While Christmas shopping has almost taken over American’s fall and winter, as much as buying gifts has taken over the true spirit of Christmas, I would like to focus on what I am thankful for:
- November 11th is Veteran’s Day.
- November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress commissioned two battalions of Marines.
- November is National Native American Heritage month.
Roll them all together and you get the late Bertha Mae Williams Brock of McAlester. A full blood member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Mrs. Brock served in the U.S. Marine Corp during the Korean War.
While this may not bring a lot of attention in 2023, during the 1950’s women were “staying at home and raising the children” not working outside the home. No longer a war time economy, civilian industry didn’t need women. Women’s career opportunities once more consisted of teaching, nursing, and office support roles; typing and Gregg Shorthand were a must.
Mirroring their civilian counterparts, few women remained in the military after WWII, where many of their male peers let them know, they were no longer welcomed. This I know first-hand as my father was career military and very vocal about who should be “allowed to serve” in the Air Force even into the 1960’s.
However, ill prepared for another war, the Korean War Era 1950-1953, forced the downsized military to recruit and train personnel. The military draft and recruitment proved inadequate to fill the ranks. Women were recruited to fill non-combat positions. In addition to administrative roles, they served in motor pools, intelligence, communications, etc. It is estimated that 120,000 women served in all the branches during the war. Only Air Force (WAF) nurses were allowed in combat zones. They assisted in the evacuation of wounded soldiers. Army nurses (WAC) assigned to Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units experienced the war front finding them.*
Mrs. Brock met her husband, Dr. Delbert Brock, when she attended Southeastern State University in Durant. Mrs. Brock devoted her life to her family and country. Her story was brought to the attention of the writer by Kilihoti Chapter of the DAR American Indian Chairperson, Pamela Womack-Canon, also a Choctaw Citizen. Pamela arranged for Bertha Mae to be recognized at the Armed Forces Day luncheon this past May and for Bertha Mae’s grandson, Kevin Brock and granddaughter Naioma to be guests of the chapter.
I am thankful that there have always been men and women who put their life on the line for me, whether it be in the miliary or law enforcement. Thank you for your service.
*https://koreanwarlegacy.org/chapters/the-role-of-women-in-the-korean-war/
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