Major Marie Therese Rossi, A Soldier's Story
Major Marie Therese Rossi, A Soldier's Story
Major Marie Therese Rossi was born on January 3, 1959, in Oradell, New Jersey. She graduated from Riverdell Regional High School in 1976 and went on to attend Dickinson College, where she majored in psychology and participated in the United States Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. She graduated in 1980 and was commissioned into the U.S. Army.
Following her commissioning, Major Rossi trained as a CH-47 Chinook helicopter pilot. She was assigned to the 18th Aviation Brigade, one of the Army’s primary heavy-lift aviation formations, and steadily advanced through the ranks. Over the course of her career, she held multiple leadership positions and ultimately served as the commanding officer of B Company.
In late 1990, Major Rossi deployed with the 18th Aviation Brigade to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War.
On February 24, 1991, as the coalition ground offensive began, Major Rossi led her unit’s CH-47 formation during combat operations, directing critical airlift missions that transported supplies, ammunition, and communications equipment to advancing ground forces. In doing so, she became the first American female aviation combat commander to fly into battle, demonstrating that leadership in combat aviation rested on training and capability, not gender.
Major Marie Therese Rossi was killed on March 1, 1991, during a nighttime mission when her helicopter struck an unilluminated tower. She was 32 years old.
Major Rossi is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. She is remembered as a skilled aviator, a committed commander, and a trailblazer whose service quietly, professionally, and at great personal cost helped redefine the role of women in military aviation.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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