>>> SO IN HONOR OF THE WOMEN'S
HISTORY MONTH, ALL WEEK WE'RE
AIRING STORIES ABOUT WOMEN WHO
ARE BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS AS
PART OF OUR SERIES "SHE MADE
IT."
RETIRED GENERAL ANN DUNWOODY
SERVED NEARLY FOUR DECADES IN
THE U.S. MILITARY.
RISING IN 2008 TO BECOME THE
FIRST FOUR-STAR GENERAL.
FIRST FEMALE FOUR-STAR GENERAL
IN THE ARMED FORCES IN ALL THE
MILITARY.
HERE IS HER INCREDIBLE STORY.
*
>> I'M THE FIRST FEMALE
FOUR-STAR GENERAL OFFICER IN THE
MILITARY.
WE HAVE FOUR GENERATIONS OF WEST
POINTS IN MY FAMILY.
MY BROTHER, MY DAD, MY
GRANDFATHER, MY GREAT
GRANDFATHER.
PROBABLY HAD THE BEST MOM AND
DAD A PERSON COULD EVER HAVE.
AND I NEVER HEARD THE WORDS
GLASS CEILING AND BRASS CEILING.
THEY BELIEVED WE COULD BE
ANYTHING WE WANTED TO BE WITH
HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT.
MY JUNIOR YEAR IN COLLEGE, RIGHT
AT THE END OF THE VIETNAM WAR.
AND THEY WERE TRYING TO RECRUIT
MORE WOMEN INTO THE MILITARY AT
THE TIME.
SO THEY CAME UP WITH THIS
PROGRAM THAT IF YOU WERE
ACCEPTED AND QUALIFIED, THEY
WERE GOING TO PAY YOU $500 A
MONTH DURING YOUR SENIOR YEAR IN
COLLEGE AND YOU HAD A TWO-YEAR
COMMITMENT.
NOW $500 WAS A LOT OF MONEY BACK
THEN.
SO I RAISED MY HAND AND SIGNED
UP.
WHEN I JOINED, THEY STILL HAD
THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS..
SORTLY AFT
SORT -- SHORTLY AFTER I JOINED
THEY BEGAN THE INTEGRATION OF
WOMEN INTO THE REGULAR ARMY.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE WOMEN
HAD THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS
THEIR REAL COUNTER PARTS IN THE
BRANCHS AND CAREER FIELDS THAT
WERE OPEN.
THE ARMY SENT ME TO AIRBORNE
SCHOOL.
I GOT TO LEARN HOW TO JUMP OUT
OF AIRPLANES.
I HAD LONG HAIR THEN.
REFUSED TO CUT IT.
AND SAID THE BARRETTS ARE
DANGEROUS.
THE INTENT IS TO GET ME TO CUT
MY HAIR TO LOOK LIKE THE GUYS.
SO I GOT SOME MASKING TAPE AND I
TAPED MY HAIR UP AND PUT MY
HELMET ON AND I NEVER HEARD
ANOTHER WORD.
I THINK OUR CHALLENGE WAS TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULDN'T ALLOW
THE LEADERSHIP TO PUT US BACK IN
THE OLD TRADITIONAL ROLES LIKE
THE COOK OR THE SECRETARY.
WHEN MY TWO YEARS WAS UP I
REMEMBER TELLING MY DAD, YOU
KNOW, I LOVE BEING A SOLDIER AND
I LOVE LEADING SOLDIERS.
I'M GOING IT STAY IN AS LONG AS
I ENJOY WHAT I'M DOING AND I CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
TWO YEARS TURNED INTO FIVE
YEARS, TEN YEARS, TURNED INTO 30
YEARS.
I GOT PROMOTED IN 2008 TO FOUR
STAR.
*
I STILL GET EMOTIONAL THINKING
ABOUT THE NOMINATION.
MEN, WOMEN, MOMS, DADS, GIRLS,
VETERANS, PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE
WORLD SAY HOW HAPPY THEY WERE
THAT THIS MOMENT HAD FINALLY
COME.
I'VE BEEN BLESSED THAT SOMETIMES
PEOPLE OPEN THE DOORS FOR ME.
SOMETIMES I OPENED THE DOOR AND
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO KICK DOWN
THE DOORS.
>> I LOVE THAT!
PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME THE
AUTHOR OF "A HIGHER STANDARD:
LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FROM
AMERICA'S FIRST FOUR STAR
GENERAL" GENERAL ANN DUNWOODY!
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
LOOK AT THAT!
OH!
>> THEY DON'T DO THAT FOR *