Dorothy Schmidt Cole, oldest living Marine, dies at 107
She enlisted as one of the earliest female reservists after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Associated Press
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KANNAPOLIS, N.C. Dorothy Schmidt Cole, recognized last year as the oldest living U.S. Marine, has died at age 107.
Beth Kluttz, Cole’s only child, confirmed Friday that her mother died of a heart attack at Kluttz’s home in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on Jan. 7.
Dorothy Schmidt Cole in 1945.
Courtesy of Beth Kluttz via AP
The Charlotte Observer reports Cole enlisted as one of the earliest female Marine reservists following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She had left her Ohio home to head to Pittsburgh, where she hoped to volunteer for the Navy, but because she was only 4 feet, 11 inches tall, she was deemed too short to meet Navy standards.
Oldest Marine Dies in NC At 107 by Associated Press
10:58pm Jan 17, 2021 In this Sept. 22, 1942 file photo, aviator Nancy Harkness Love, director of the Women s Auxiliary Ferry Squadron (WAFS), and Col. Robert H. Baker, commanding officer, inspect the first contingent of women pilots in the WAFS at the New Castle Army Air Base, Del. Cole had hoped to be a pilot but ended up with a desk job. (AP Photo, File)
Dorothy Schmidt Cole, recognized last year as the oldest living U.S. Marine, has died at age 107.
Beth Kluttz, Cole s only child, confirmed Friday that her mother died of a heart attack at Kluttz s home in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on Jan. 7.
The oldest living Marine, a North Carolina woman, has died at age 107 krdo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from krdo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Dorothy Schmidt Cole, oldest living Marine, dies at age 107
By Staff and Wire Reports
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Dorothy Schmidt Cole (USMC)
Beth Kluttz, Cole s only child, confirmed Friday that her mother died of a heart attack at Kluttz s home in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on Jan. 7.
Cole, also affectionately known as Dot, was born on Sept. 19, 1913 in Warren, Pennsylvania. She enlisted to join the Marines in 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, according to the Marine Corps. Everyone was out doing something. Women helping the Red Cross or even in churches, they were knitting things, Cole said. So I decided that I wanted to do something and I would go into the Marine Corps.