Walsh, Loretta Perfectus, 1896-1925

Loretta Perfectus Walsh Bowman (April 22, 1896 – August 17, 1925), sometimes signed and written as "Loretto", became the first American active-duty Navy woman, the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Navy, and the first woman allowed to serve as a woman in any of the United States armed forces, as anything other than as a nurse, when she enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve on March 17, 1917. Walsh subsequently became the first woman U.S. Navy petty officer when she was sworn in as Chief Yeoman on March 21, 1917.

War events quickly led up to Walsh's decision to enlist in the United States Navy. World War I was in its fourth year when, on January 31, 1917 the Germans announced they would resume unrestricted submarine warfare on all ships, including those sailing under the United States flag. On February 23, 1917, American opinion further was angered when America learned of Berlin's proposal to Mexico to join the war as Germany's ally against the U.S. Over the next few weeks, four American ships fell victim to German U-boats, causing the death of fifteen Americans.

On March 12, 1917, all American merchant ships were ordered to be armed in war zones. On March 13, 1917, these armed merchant ships were authorized to take action against German U-boats. It was in the face of this adversity challenging the United States that Walsh made her decision to enlist in the United States military.

At age 20, on March 17, 1917, Walsh engaged in a four-year enlistment in the U.S. Navy, becoming the first active-duty Navy woman, the first woman to enlist in the Navy, and the first woman to serve in any of the armed forces in a non-nurse occupation. On March 19, 1917, the Navy Department authorized enrollment of women in Naval Reserve with ratings of yeoman, radio electrician, or other essential ratings, becoming the first branch of the United States armed forces to allow enlistment by women in a non-nursing capacity. Walsh subsequently became the first woman Navy petty officer when she was sworn in as Chief Yeoman on March 21, 1917.

12 days after Walsh was sworn in as Chief Yeoman, President Woodrow Wilson went before the U.S. Congress late on April 2 to ask for a declaration of war, which Congress did on April 6, 1917.

The war ended on November 11, 1918. Walsh and other female yeomen, all of whom held enlisted ranks, continued in service during the first months after the November 1918 Armistice was signed. However, as a result of the post-World War I Naval reductions, the number of Yeomen (F) declined steadily, reaching just under four thousand by the end of July 1919, when Walsh and the remaining Yeomen (F) were all released from active duty. Walsh continued on inactive reserve status, receiving modest retainer pay, until the end of her four-year enlistment on March 17, 1921.

In 1917, women had served in the United States military as nurses since 1901. However, despite their uniforms, Army and Navy nurses were civilian employees with few benefits. For example, women lacked "relative ranks" and insignia, retirement pension, disability pension if injured in the line of duty. On enlisting in the Navy in early 1917, Walsh became a Yeoman (F), commonly called Yeomanettes. Yeomanettes primarily served in clerical positions. As a non-nurse, Walsh was the first of 13,000 World War I yeoman females entitled to receive the same benefits and responsibilities as men, including identical pay.

While working at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Loretta contracted the dreaded influenza which had already taken so many lives. Seriously ill for several weeks, Walsh never full recovered. Loretta entered White Haven Sanatorium in Pennsylvania for treatment of tuberculosis. It was there she met Frederick Bowman, a tuberculosis patient and a veteran of the war. She and Frederick married on 8 June 1922 at St Madelyn’s Church in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Sadly, their union was to be short lived. Loretta Walsh Bowman succumbed to tuberculosis at the age of 29 on 17 August 1925 at White Haven. Her military career was acknowledged with a full military funeral, where friends and family gathered with distinguished military personnel to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Loretta Perfectus Walsh.