Why, hello there! I am Opha May Johnson, née Jacob, born on May 4, 1878, in Kokomo, Indiana. I hold the esteemed title of being the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, a momentous occasion that took place on August 13, 1918, during the tumult of World War I. My journey began at Wood's Commercial College in Washington, D.C., where I honed my skills in shorthand and typewriting, graduating in 1895 as the salutatorian of my class. I joined the Marine Corps Reserve with a sense of duty and patriotism, setting a precedent for women in the military.