Brigadier General Margaret Ann Brewer, A Marine's Story

 

Brigadier General Margaret Ann Brewer, A Marine's Story

Brigadier General Margaret Ann Brewer 
Born July 1, 1930 - Died January 2, 2013

Margaret Ann Brewer holds a singular and historic place in United States Marine Corps history. Over the course of nearly three decades of service, she not only shaped generations of Marines but also broke one of the institution’s most enduring barriers, becoming the first woman ever promoted to the rank of general officer in the Marine Corps.

Born on July 1, 1930, in Durand, Michigan, Brewer came of age at a time when opportunities for women in military service were sharply constrained. She graduated from the University of Michigan before accepting her commission in the Marine Corps in 1952. Entering a deeply traditional institution, Brewer brought with her a quiet confidence, professional discipline, and a firm belief that service was earned through competence rather than concession.

Her early assignments reflected both trust and responsibility. She served as a communications watch officer at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, followed by Inspector–Instructor duty for a Women’s Marine Reserve unit in Brooklyn, New York. She went on to command Women Marine companies at Norfolk and Camp Lejeune, establishing a reputation as a firm, fair, and exacting leader.

Brewer later returned to Quantico, where she served as both an instructor and the Commanding Officer of the Women Officers' School. In that role, she directly shaped the training and professional expectations of women entering Marine leadership, reinforcing standards identical to those applied across the Corps.

During the Vietnam era, a period of immense social and institutional change, Brewer held key administrative, training, and public affairs positions. In 1973, she was appointed the seventh and final Director of Women Marines, overseeing the transition as women were fully integrated into the Marine Corps. Rather than resisting change or diluting standards, Brewer guided integration with clarity and purpose, ensuring that equality meant shared expectations and shared accountability.

Her final active-duty assignment brought her to Headquarters Marine Corps, where she served as Director of Information and later Director of Public Affairs. On May 11, 1978, Margaret Ann Brewer made history when she was promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first woman general officer in Marine Corps history.

She retired on July 1, 1980, after 28 years of distinguished service.

Retirement did not mark an end to Brewer’s commitment to service, only a transition. In civilian life, she became a respected leader in national nonprofit and advisory organizations, particularly those focused on women, youth, veterans, and public service. She served as Executive Director of the Girl Scouts of the USA Capital Council, championing leadership development for young women. She was also a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, helping shape policy affecting women in uniform.

Brewer was a dedicated volunteer and board member of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, supporting the creation of the memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Throughout her post-military life, she remained a mentor, advocate, and steady presence for women entering military and public leadership roles.

Brigadier General Margaret Ann Brewer died in 2013, but her legacy endures, in institutions strengthened, doors opened, and standards upheld. Her life reflects the many forms service can take: leadership exercised with restraint, progress guided by professionalism, and courage expressed not through force, but through persistence.

Brigadier General Margaret Ann Brewer, United States Marine, remains a trailblazer not because she sought to be one, but because she did the work required when no path yet existed.

 * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here*

_____________________________________________________________________________

About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

✨ #TakeTheBackRoads

Support the Work of Remembrance

If this story mattered to you, help sustain the preservation of American service members whose lives deserve to be remembered.

Your support funds research, hosting, and continued documentation.