Honoring our veterans: 100-year-old WWII veteran Cpl. Dorothee Irwin
It’s going to be a very special Veterans Day for 100-year-old Corporal Dorothee Irwin, one of the oldest Marines in the Coachella Valley. It’s been 80 years since Corporal Irwin first enlisted in the United States Marines.
She says it was a message on the radio that piqued her interest. It "interrupted the programs to say, 'women give up your jobs and take over what the men were doing. So they can go overseas to fight.’ they needed the women."
Irwin says she was already working to help her family at the time, but her father had hesitations about her joining the military. "And my dad finally found out I wouldn't be handling that ammunition," Irwin recalls. "He said, but okay, I'll sign the paper for you. I was 20 years old."
She was one of the first 92 women at Camp Pendleton during the Second World War. She held a number of jobs, including mess sergeant, and working for the post exchange.
It was at Camp Pendleton where she also met her husband Lt. Col. John Irwin. What began as a blind date led to a marriage stretching into nearly 70 years. "And he wanted to go out another time," she remembered, "And i said, okay, if I can get off free off, and I did, and we just kept dating. And then we got married two months later." They moved to Palm Springs with their children back in 1961. Fast forward to today – Dorothee Irwin is a beloved veteran throughout the Coachella Valley.
Well known for wearing her uniform and green beret, she’s participated in a number of parades and has earned recognitions throughout the Valley. You can find her in full uniform on the Palm Springs float during this Saturday's Veterans Day parade.
MORE: Veterans Day events throughout Coachella Valley
Her family says it’s been a life filled with meaningful milestones with more to come.
Later this month, November 27, Corporal Dorothee Irwin is celebrating a special birthday, turning 101 years old. Happy Birthday and thank you for your service, Corporal Irwin.
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