First female MCPO laid to rest

Content Manager posted on December 19, 2011 11:32

The Old Post Chapel on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall was filled to capacity Nov. 29 as representatives from the Washington DC. Chief's Mess paid tribute to the Navy's first female master chief petty officer. Retired Master Chief Petty Officer Anna Der-Vartanian died Aug. 4 at the age of 90 and was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery amid a crowd of hundreds of Sailors, family, and friends who came to honor one of first women to shatter the glass ceiling. A native of Detroit, MI, Der-Vartanian joined the Navy in December 1943. In 1959, while serving as assistant to the Global Strategy Officer at the Naval War College in Newport, RI, Der-Vartanian received her promotion to master chief petty officer. With that promotion, she made history as the first women in the Armed Services to be promoted to the rank of E-9.

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# CAPT C. J. Rabideau, JAGC, USNR ret

Friday, December 23, 2011 1:13 AM

I didn't know her, but I knew many women in the Navy during WW2 and later in the Korean War service, and when she broke the glass ceiling it was long overdue to be smashed. There is no question the quality of leadership, intellect and judgement some of them had in my time. I served from 8 Jan 44 till 20 Feb 86 in USNR, both enlisted and commissioned. 3 active my first "hitch" and two recalled for Korea in July, 1950, so met some talented women over the years, including SelRes and duriing many Acdutras. The Navy finally learned its conservative lesson by committing to treating the women in our service as equals. Time has proven the correctness of that wise, though laggardly, decision. CAPT Jim Rabideau, JAGC, USNR ret.

First female MCPO laid to rest

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