Luta Mae (Cornelius) McGrath (November 21, 1907 - April 14, 2016) was an officer in the United States Army Ordnance Corps and the oldest surviving female veteran of World War II at the time of her death.[1][2][3] In the Army Ordnance community, McGrath became known as "The First Lady of Ordnance" and was the first woman to be inducted into the Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame in 1985.[4][5][6]
Luta Mae Cornelius McGrath | |
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Nickname(s) | The First Lady of Ordnance |
Born | Beattyville, Kentucky | November 21, 1907
Died | April 14, 2016 Annandale, Virginia | (aged 108)
Buried | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1943–1961 |
Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Spouse(s) | LTC (Ret) Thomas J. McGrath, U.S. Army |
Career
editMcGrath joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps as a private in 1943.
References
edit- ^ LeDoux, Julia (November 3, 2016). "First Lady of Ordnance remembered". Pentagram. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Crowe, Gretchen (July 29, 2008). "A long life worth living". The Arlington Catholic Herald. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ "One of America's oldest known female Veterans passes away at 108 years old". NJTODAY.NET. May 21, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ "Lieutenant Colonel Luta C. McGrath". United States Army Ordnance Corps. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Moseley Brown, Betty (January 10, 2017). "Remembering a patriot: Lt. Col. Luta "Cornie" McGrath". U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Dixon, Terrance (November 11, 2020). "REWATCH: Virginia War Memorial hosts virtual Veterans Day Ceremony". NBC29.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.