Female veterans a force for education

Marine Corps veteran Caroline Razcon earned two Meritorious Masts, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and North Atlantic Treaty Organization International Security Assistance Force Medal.

She also earned a Southwestern College student activities sticker.

Razcon was one of three women honored by the SWC Student Veteran Organization at its annual Sisters In Arms ceremony to salute women veterans furthering their education. Marine Corps veteran Sean McGinty said Razcon is a terrific student and a great Marine.

“Her overall experience in the military was an honor,” said McGinty. “If she were to go back in time, Caroline said she would do it all over again. She’s extraordinarily proud to hold the title of Marine.”

Razcon began her military career in 2009 and participated in Operation Tomadachi, the U.S. assistance to Japan’s disaster relief following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, and the Global War on Terrorism in Operation Enduring Freedom. She was honorably discharged on October 12, 2013 and enrolled at SWC soon after.

SVO also honored Air Force veteran Danielle Dorame, deployed twice during her eight years of service, once to Saudi Arabia in 2011 and in 2013 a split deployment between Kuwait and Afghanistan. Master of Ceremonies Vincent Avila-Walker said Dorame was a tough airwoman.

“Security forces is a male-dominated career field,” Avila-Walker said.

“What was hard about being in that particular career field is that the feminine needs were not always met. She suffered back pains from everything she had to carry and said that there was little to no sensitivity whatsoever to the needs of females. But make no mistake, this female was not afraid to stand up or speak her mind.”

Dorame received Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Non Article 5 North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal and the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon. She also sang the national anthem at five ceremonies, including the Army’s 236th birthday and at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.

Avila-Walker said he asked Dorame, a child development major, why she joined the Air Force.

“She responded by hysterically laughing at me and then said, ‘Because my mom didn’t want me to be a Marine,’” he said.

Nancy Dodd, a 51-year-old Marine veteran, said she served six years in the Marine Corps beginning in 1983. She said the treatment of women Marines has changed mightily.

“We had to attend etiquette classes,” she said. “All of us had to wear bright red lipstick. You had to have that lipstick on anywhere you went.”

Differences were more than cosmetic, she said.

“Women as Marines were not allowed to have the blood strip that runs down the (inseam) trousers that signified the blood that was shed in battle,” she said. “It was during my time in the Marine Corp when that came to be. We were not allowed to go aboard ship. We were not allowed to be anything that was deemed a combat role.”

Dodd thanked her fellow honorees for their service with gifts she said represented the evolution of women in the military and what is yet to come — a challenge coin and a tube of red lipstick.

“If by chance you do keep it, let it just be a reminder of what was and how others like us have dedicated our lives to military service and that we can make a difference,” she said.

Dorame said the military has a long way to go to achieve gender equality, but the ceremony demonstrated that women have made “huge strides.”

“It’s really nice to be recognized, not just myself, but women in the military.” she said. “We’re finally equal to men instead of below them.”