Dorothy “Dot” Cole, celebrated as the oldest United States Marine, passed away Jan. 7 at her daughter’s home in Kannapolis, NC.
Cole enlisted with the Marines at 29-years-old in 1943 after being denied by the Navy for being just 4 feet 11 inches tall, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Fair Winds and Following Seas
Join us in saying goodbye to Sgt. Dorothy (Schmidt) Cole who passed away last week as the oldest living Marine.
Last year, “Dotty” shared her story as she celebrated her 107th birthday. Semper Fi, Marine. pic.twitter.com/QUMVbt0sy4
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) January 12, 2021
At the point of her enlistment, Cole reportedly had earned her private pilot’s license and had 200 hours of experience in the cockpit of a Piper Cub.
However, instead of putting Cole in the cockpit, the Marines reportedly gave her a clerical duty at Camp Lejeune. (RELATED: “Come And Fight Me!” The Culture And Legacy Of U.S. Marines)
In 1945 when World War II ended, Cole was reportedly discharged by the Marines as a Sergent.
“We could still go to Walmart and I could actually leave her alone and she’d go down her own way. And I can remember having a hard time finding her because she was so short, she was shorter than … the clothes racks. … So I had a hard time locating her and a lot of times it scared me trying to find her,” Cole’s daughter Beth Kluttz said, according to the Charlotte Observer.