WEBVTT 00:00.284 --> 00:03.034 - I'm Chief Warrant Officer Four. 00:03.095 --> 00:04.512 Rosemary Masters. 00:04.546 --> 00:06.944 I'm the G1 Enlisted Personnel Manager 00:06.944 --> 00:08.817 at Joint Force Headquarters 00:08.817 --> 00:11.149 of the Oklahoma Army National Guard. 00:11.149 --> 00:13.899 Now, where I am, I'm right there. 00:14.155 --> 00:15.488 I am right here. 00:17.749 --> 00:20.155 I was blonde back then so I stick out. 00:20.155 --> 00:21.791 I can see exactly where I am. 00:21.791 --> 00:24.479 I have a bunch of pictures from that day. 00:24.479 --> 00:26.896 This is exactly 20 years ago, 00:27.399 --> 00:29.810 when WIMSA, Women in the Military, 00:29.810 --> 00:31.560 this memorial opened. 00:32.598 --> 00:33.959 We were here 20 years ago. 00:33.959 --> 00:36.626 We marched down calling cadence. 00:38.644 --> 00:39.851 We had a special cadence. 00:39.851 --> 00:42.107 I don't remember it, I don't have it still written down, 00:42.107 --> 00:44.920 but I remember we got up into those bleachers 00:44.920 --> 00:46.663 mostly before a lot of people were here. 00:46.663 --> 00:48.859 We were here early of course. 00:48.859 --> 00:52.207 It was a day, and you can see the big screens, 00:52.207 --> 00:54.582 so that we could see and hear everything 00:54.582 --> 00:58.415 as they were dedicating the memorial to women. 00:59.922 --> 01:03.422 It was a great day and I felt very honored 01:04.175 --> 01:07.625 that the Oklahoma Guard had sent us here for that. 01:07.625 --> 01:09.675 As you can see, there were other military there, 01:09.675 --> 01:11.331 but we really had a big presence. 01:11.331 --> 01:13.723 Oklahoma really put money into that. 01:13.723 --> 01:16.252 I remember there were three of us that shared a hotel room. 01:16.252 --> 01:19.002 We all, you know, stuck together. 01:20.199 --> 01:22.449 Now, fast forward 20 years, 01:24.357 --> 01:26.274 I'm looking back going, 01:26.314 --> 01:29.397 I was born in 1967, I'm 50 years old, 01:31.178 --> 01:34.004 and women have been authorized to join the military, 01:34.004 --> 01:37.337 or the National Guard, for 50 years now. 01:37.865 --> 01:40.448 That's just mind blowing to me. 01:40.656 --> 01:43.906 That's goose bump stuff, you know like, 01:45.097 --> 01:48.000 my generation is so different than my mother's, 01:48.000 --> 01:49.667 or my grandmother's. 01:50.052 --> 01:52.969 The opportunities that we have now. 01:53.020 --> 01:54.687 It's a proud moment. 01:56.401 --> 01:58.234 It's hard to describe. 01:58.343 --> 02:01.613 It's like wow, and to actually walk in here 02:01.613 --> 02:03.940 and Colonel Lindy White was like, "Rosie, there you are!" 02:03.940 --> 02:06.343 and I was like, "Oh my gosh, I'm on the wall. 02:06.343 --> 02:07.843 How neat is that?" 02:08.102 --> 02:09.994 It's like, I can't wait to get home. 02:09.994 --> 02:12.090 I'm gonna call my daughter, my husband, my son 02:12.090 --> 02:14.673 and say, "I'm in the memorial!" 02:15.989 --> 02:18.072 That's fascinating to me, 02:18.194 --> 02:20.774 to be a part of that history, you know, 02:20.774 --> 02:23.357 it's just a proud moment, yeah. 02:23.526 --> 02:25.265 - [Interviewer] If you have something that you wanted 02:25.265 --> 02:29.265 to pass on to the younger generation of females, 02:29.512 --> 02:31.095 what would that be? 02:31.256 --> 02:34.006 - Oh, embrace your opportunities. 02:34.392 --> 02:37.423 There are so many laws that have changed 02:37.423 --> 02:39.090 since we joined now. 02:40.075 --> 02:42.825 Recently with female integration, 02:43.275 --> 02:46.836 there is really no limit to what your gender 02:46.836 --> 02:48.586 may have held before. 02:49.074 --> 02:51.146 You are now afforded all those opportunities. 02:51.146 --> 02:52.229 Embrace that. 02:52.231 --> 02:55.814 Set your goals and break those stereotypes. 02:56.209 --> 03:00.181 Get out there and do the job that you desire to do. 03:00.181 --> 03:03.014 If you're up for the challenge and 03:03.858 --> 03:06.421 you have the mental and physical capacity, 03:06.421 --> 03:09.338 your gender is no longer a barrier. 03:09.552 --> 03:10.469 Yeah, yeah. 03:11.951 --> 03:15.157 - [Interviewer] Can you say on camera just your name, 03:15.157 --> 03:16.414 your rank, and your title?