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Mary A. Hallaren, who was director of the Women’s Army Corps when it officially became part of the regular Army in 1948, died Feb. 13 of complications from a stroke at Arleigh Burke Pavilion, an...
Colonel Hallaren retired from the Army in 1960. She was reported to be one of the most beloved members of the WAC with the nickname of “Little Colonel” due to her height of 4’ 10”. However, her exemplary leadership and positive impact on women in the military was anything but little.
Mary Agnes Hallaren (May 4, 1907 – February 13, 2005) was an American soldier and the third director of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) at the time that it became a part of the United States Army. As the director of the WAC, she was the first woman to officially join the U.S. Army.
In retirement she remained active in civic affairs, serving for many years on the board of directors of the WAC Foundation and lecturing on the history of women in the army. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Feb 13, 2005 · She went on to work as an operations officer in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense of Personnel and Reserve Affairs from 1957 to 1960. Hallaren officially retired on June 30, 1960. Back in civilian life, Mary completed an additional bachelor’s degree from George Washington University.
Colonel Hallaren retired from the Army in 1960. Some of her awards and decorations include: *Legion of Merit (2 Oak Leaf Clusters) *Bronze Star *Army Commendation Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster) *Croix de Guerre (French) and *Legion of Honor (French).
Feb 18, 2024 · Colonel Hallaren may have been short, but she had a long-reaching vision. At a time when everyone else expected servicewomen to go back home, Hallaren was fighting for something different — the recognition that the United States military could still use women in peacetime.
