Jeanne Holm was born in 1921 in Portland, Oregon. She decided on a military career in World War II when Congress established the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). After attending Officer Candidate School, she was commissioned at what was equivalent to a Second Lieutenant.
During World War II, she had command positions in training and hospital operations stateside. She left military duty after the war was over and spent two years in college. She was recalled to active duty during the Berlin Blockade. She served as a planning officer during the Berlin airlift and later in the Korean War.
When she returned to the U.S., she was the first woman to attend the Air Command and Staff College. From there, she was assigned to a number of higher-level positions.
She was appointed to be the director of the Women in the Air Force where she worked on issues holding back women in the Air Force. The number of women doubled during her appointment. She was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal for her achievements.
In 1971, she became the first woman to be promoted to Brigadier General. Two years later, she was promoted to Major General. She retired from the Air Force after holding several high-level positions.
After retiring, she served as a special assistant to President Gerald Ford. She developed a plan for the Present to eliminate any gender limits in the U.S. Code where the limits were not justified.
In 2020, women made up 21.1% of the personnel in the Air Force, including serving as pilots. General Holm helped fulfill the hopes of countless women when she opened the skies for them to fly in defending America. Enablers of hope for others serve one of the highest purposes in life.
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“We will not again look upon a woman flying as an experiment.” – Henry Arnold (General of the Air Force)