December 6, 2006: Major Megan Leilani McClung, USMC, was the first female United States Marine Corps officer killed in the Iraq War. She was also the first female graduate of the United States Naval Academy killed in action since the founding of the school in 1845.
She worked as a Public Affairs Officer in Al-Anbar Province, Iraq. Public Affairs is a vital supporting role of the military, especially the Marines. In addition to being tasked with providing information about the Marine Corps to the media, a PAO fulfills numerous requests for aircraft, military bands, speakers and the like. They write articles, publish base newspapers and manage websites. They are instrumental in communications and the exchange of information.
It may sound like an easy job. But surely it can’t be easy in a war-torn area such as Iraq.
From what I’ve read about Major McClung, she was up to the task.
From an early age, Megan McClung had chutzpah. When she was denied entry into the boy’s weightlifting program in school, she went to the school board and won. When some Marines returned from field missions in Iraq were denied entry into the mess hall until they’d showered, McClung made sure they first got fed.
Major McClung must have inherited the desire to serve. Both her maternal and paternal grandfathers served as did her father. It was only natural she would attend the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1995 and receiving her officer’s commission.
On the day of her death, Major McClung was supposed to be escorting Oliver North. She switched with a gunnery sergeant to accompany the Newsweek crew instead. Her Humvee was following the Newsweek crew when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) destroyed the Humvee, killing McClung and two other occupants.
A very good article about Major McClung can be found on the Military Times website: http://bit.ly/1u5cNNg
Tributes to Major McClung abound on the Internet. She was respected and liked by her fellow Marines and loved by family and friends. Her family periodically updates her Facebook page, honoring her spirit and her life. One particularly moving tribute on FB: http://on.fb.me/1zz00Hi
Megan McClung collected inspiring quotes from the age of nine. One in particular is a quote everyone should live by: To do anything but your best is to waste the gift.
Her mantra, Be bold, be brief, be gone, is engraved upon her headstone in Arlington National Cemetary.
Major McClung is not the only woman killed in the line of duty. Women served during the American Revolution as cooks and nurses; some disguised themselves as men to fight in combat. As early as 1918, women enlisted in the Marine Corps, though they were limited to clerical duties. Women’s roles in the military have expanded greatly since that time, limited only by the exception of offensive combat. Thousands of women have given their lives serving in the United States military.
I have a deep-seated respect for anyone willing to put their lives on the line for what s/he believes in. I may not support war in general, but I support those strong enough and brave enough to defend.
I did not know Major McClung personally. I wish I could have known her. She was bold. But her time here was all too brief.
Women Marines Association
http://bit.ly/12OSuht
Pen has self-published 20 titles in print and e-book formats. Her latest endeavor, Nero’s Fiddle is a fictitious account of an EMP attack. Visit Nero’s Fiddle website at http://bit.ly/1yYsNH2 Follow her on Twitter @penspen or visit her website at www.penspen.info
She worked as a Public Affairs Officer in Al-Anbar Province, Iraq. Public Affairs is a vital supporting role of the military, especially the Marines. In addition to being tasked with providing information about the Marine Corps to the media, a PAO fulfills numerous requests for aircraft, military bands, speakers and the like. They write articles, publish base newspapers and manage websites. They are instrumental in communications and the exchange of information.
It may sound like an easy job. But surely it can’t be easy in a war-torn area such as Iraq.
From what I’ve read about Major McClung, she was up to the task.
From an early age, Megan McClung had chutzpah. When she was denied entry into the boy’s weightlifting program in school, she went to the school board and won. When some Marines returned from field missions in Iraq were denied entry into the mess hall until they’d showered, McClung made sure they first got fed.
Major McClung must have inherited the desire to serve. Both her maternal and paternal grandfathers served as did her father. It was only natural she would attend the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1995 and receiving her officer’s commission.
On the day of her death, Major McClung was supposed to be escorting Oliver North. She switched with a gunnery sergeant to accompany the Newsweek crew instead. Her Humvee was following the Newsweek crew when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) destroyed the Humvee, killing McClung and two other occupants.
A very good article about Major McClung can be found on the Military Times website: http://bit.ly/1u5cNNg
Tributes to Major McClung abound on the Internet. She was respected and liked by her fellow Marines and loved by family and friends. Her family periodically updates her Facebook page, honoring her spirit and her life. One particularly moving tribute on FB: http://on.fb.me/1zz00Hi
Megan McClung collected inspiring quotes from the age of nine. One in particular is a quote everyone should live by: To do anything but your best is to waste the gift.
Her mantra, Be bold, be brief, be gone, is engraved upon her headstone in Arlington National Cemetary.
Major McClung is not the only woman killed in the line of duty. Women served during the American Revolution as cooks and nurses; some disguised themselves as men to fight in combat. As early as 1918, women enlisted in the Marine Corps, though they were limited to clerical duties. Women’s roles in the military have expanded greatly since that time, limited only by the exception of offensive combat. Thousands of women have given their lives serving in the United States military.
I have a deep-seated respect for anyone willing to put their lives on the line for what s/he believes in. I may not support war in general, but I support those strong enough and brave enough to defend.
I did not know Major McClung personally. I wish I could have known her. She was bold. But her time here was all too brief.
Women Marines Association
http://bit.ly/12OSuht
Pen has self-published 20 titles in print and e-book formats. Her latest endeavor, Nero’s Fiddle is a fictitious account of an EMP attack. Visit Nero’s Fiddle website at http://bit.ly/1yYsNH2 Follow her on Twitter @penspen or visit her website at www.penspen.info