Margaret Bandy

Margaret Bandy made history when she became the first female United States Marine Corps Reservist in Syracuse. She obtained the rank of Sergeant and served during World War II.

Ms. Bandy grew up in the Village of Liverpool and was employed as a bookkeeper for a washing machine company. She witnessed many of her family members, including both of her brothers, as well as numerous cousins, enlist in the military and go to war on behalf of their country. Determined to follow in their footsteps, Ms. Bandy made her way to the old post office in Clinton Square, where she was informed that she would need to travel to New York City in order to become a Marine. Undeterred, Ms. Bandy did so, and shortly thereafter, her training began at Camp Lejeune.

Ms. Bandy was one of the 22,000 women who were allowed to enlist in the Marine Corps during WWII, with many assigned to office jobs stateside. At the age of 23, her responsibilities included paying the gasoline bills in order to keep the troops moving during the War.

In her next assignment, Ms. Bandy was transferred to the department that managed the movement of freight for the War effort. In this position, she was a young woman working with all older men. She recalls never being treated poorly or unfairly because she was a woman.

After her departure from the Marines, Ms. Bandy was employed at the Syracuse Herald-Journal and Syracuse Herald-American in what was then called the “Women’s Department.”

She married Richard Bandy, a former Marine and photographer for the Syracuse Herald-Journal, and together, they raised two children.

Now 100 years old, she reflects proudly on her experience serving the United States of America. When asked by reporters about her service, Ms. Bandy states, “I just loved it, every minute of it.”