Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran Rose Grosshans Noël, wo received a Purple Heart during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Rose Grosshans Noël enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1988 and completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina and basic aviation electronics training. Noël then went to Naval Air Maintenance Training Group in Lemoore, California.
The Marine Corps assigned Noël to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 in Beaufort, South Carolina. While there, she deployed to Iwakuni, Japan, from April 1991 to February 1992. In 1996, the Marine Corps assigned her to Aviation Maintenance Squadron 2 at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, to be an instructor. Noël taught aviation electronics, aviation fundamentals, and algebra. In 1999, Noël returned to Parris Island to be a drill instructor.
In 2001, the Marine Corps assigned Noël to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 again. Noël deployed to Iwakuni again from January 2004 to July 2004. In December 2004, the Marine Corps assigned Noël to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 in New River, South Carolina. She deployed to the Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq from February 2005 to January 2006.
On Aug. 27, 2005, a rocket exploded 100 meters to Noël’s right. She was hit in the face by shrapnel that narrowly missed a major artery. Noël went to the military hospital in Balad, Iraq. Originally, the Marine Corps planned to send Noël back to the United States, but she insisted on completing her tour in Iraq. The doctor at Balad told Noël that if she only ate soft food for six weeks, she could return to Al-Asad and complete her deployment. Noël received a Purple Heart Medal and retired in 2009.
Noël served as the Junior Vice Commander of her local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and is a member of the Women’s Marine Association. She considers her duties as a mother to two boys very important and served as an officer for the Dixon High School Booster Club.
Thank you for your service!
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Veterans History Project
This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.
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Thank you for your service Rose Grosshans Noël.