Barbara Jean Dulinsky was born on October 18, 1928, in San Francisco, California, to Ross and Anna Noel Dulinsky. She had three sisters: June E. Dulinsky, Gladys Shook, and Alice L. Dulinsky Crump.
Dulinsky first enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1951. She became the Senior Drill Instructor for female Marines at Parris Island, South Carolina.
Dulinsky went on an 18-hour flight and arrived at Bien Hoa Air Force Base, just 30 miles outside of Saigon. When she first arrived, she was held overnight due to safety concerns on the unsecure roads. The next day, when she arrived in Saigon, she was given a briefing on security concerns, recognizing booby traps, and checking cabs.
When Dulinsky set foot in Vietnam on March 18, 1967, she became the first female Marine to serve in a combat zone. She had requested to be sent to Vietnam. She served as an administrative chief at the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Combat Operations Center in Saigon. Dulinsky’s choice to volunteer in Saigon opened doors for many women in the Marine Corps.
Dulinsky retired from the Marine Corps in 1974 and lived in San Francisco for a period of time before moving to Kent, Washington. She lived there until she passed away of natural causes in 1995 at the age of 66.
Sources:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/110365626/barbara-jean-dulinsky
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Dulinsky
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