Oklahoma's oldest female Marine honored

OWASSO, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma's oldest known female Marine is being recognized by a state Marines group. <br/><br/>95 year old Maye Ryan of Owasso is receiving the tribute from the Sooner Chapter of

Saturday, February 11th 2006, 1:04 pm

By: News On 6

OWASSO, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma's oldest known female Marine is being recognized by a state Marines group.

95 year old Maye Ryan of Owasso is receiving the tribute from the Sooner Chapter of the Women Marines Association.

Monday is the 63rd anniversary of the establishment of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve, and eight Marines, ranging in age from 72 to 95, helped mark that anniversary in Oklahoma.

Ryan was a schoolteacher in Red Oak in Latimer County when World War Two began.

She joined the Marines and served 32 months, mostly doing clerical work in Mojave, California. She was discharged in November 1945.

Today more than 8,000 women are in the Marine Corps. That's about 5.1 percent of the Marines' active-duty enlisted force.