VICTORIA, Texas – U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Georgia Lee Schwickheimer is our Military Hero of the Month – a woman whose life is marked by service, resilience and a deep connection to her family ranch in Fannin.
A current episode of Let’s grow Texas Ag Schwickheimer showcased her independence and 45 years of experience running the family's livestock business.
“I was born in Fannin and grew up in the cattle trade — Brahma or Angus,” she said, standing next to the ranch’s historic 1911 main house. Today she continues to care for the land and the family legacy.
Before graduating from Southern Methodist University, Schwickheimer returned home with big news: She planned to join the Marine Corps.
“They didn’t know anything…to start training,” she recalls.
She began her military career in 1959 and headed to Quantico to train as an officer – a path that would take her across the country and overseas.
“I started at Quantico…major in the Marine Corps,” she said.
Schwickheimer entered the service at a time when the role of women in the armed forces was often overlooked.
“If you’re new to women in the armed forces, then you haven’t been paying attention,” she said. “We did a lot of jobs so that others could fight – to become mechanics.”
She also acknowledged the challenges between men and women in the workplace.
“Most of the men I’ve met have worked with them,” she said, noting the hurdles women have faced.
And what about the cliche about military leaders yelling all the time?
“There are different options,” she said. “Squad and platoons.”
From 1959 to 1980, she was involved in some of America's most defining moments.
“I was in Pendleton…Vietnam…it was dramatic,” she said. Her insights into gender issues in the military are based on decades of first-hand experience.
“If you took out all the women…staffing shortages…you would have engineers,” she added, emphasizing the essential roles women played.
Throughout her service, Schwickheimer remained connected to her homeland. She returned to the ranch whenever she had the chance.
“They give me this picture… to see the cows,” she said.
She recently attended the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, an annual tradition held worldwide on November 10 to honor the history and legacy of the Corps. The event also includes the traditional reading of Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune's birthday message, first delivered in 1921.
This year, Schwickheimer was honored as the oldest Marine in attendance and paired with the youngest – a symbolic passing of the torch.
Maj. Georgia Lee Schwickheimer represents a lifetime of service to her country and community – a “stand-up Marine.” Semper Fi.
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