They Did Everything They Could to Make Her Fail. But They Could Not Break Her.
Her fate was sealed before she even stepped off the plane. They were not going to let a female line officer tell them what to do.
America is disconnected from veterans and military families. Be part of the solution.
DonateReinetta Van explores identity and historical perspective issues in hybrid forms. Her work has or is forthcoming in The War Horse and Wrath-Bearing Tree, plus anthologies Sisters in Arms: Lessons We’ve Learned and Things We Carry Still: Poems and Micro-Stories About Military Gear. Van will be reading from her publications at Old Dominion University’s Literary Festival on Oct. 4, 2023. Contact
her at CaptainVanUSNavy@gmail.com to comment or order a copy of Sisters in Arms: Lessons We’ve Learned.
Her fate was sealed before she even stepped off the plane. They were not going to let a female line officer tell them what to do.
Here I was in my company commander’s office as he again pressured me to quit. It seemed like the universe was against me becoming a naval officer.
This was “Old Navy,” with its emphasis on secrecy, drinking, and sexually disparaging language and acts. But it sure was fun.