Army Major Marie Therese Rossi-Cayton (January 3, 1959 – March 1, 1991)

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 God Bless this Hero. RIP..

Army Major Marie Therese Rossi-Cayton (January 3, 1959 – March 1, 1991) was the first woman in American military history to serve in combat as an aviation unit commander, during the Persian Gulf War in 1991, and the first woman pilot in United States history to fly combat missions.



 She was killed when the CH-47 Chinook she was piloting crashed in Saudi Arabia, on March 1, 1991. She was the recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Mational Service Defense Medal South West Asia Service Medal w/ Bronze Stars & Army Commendation Medal. 


"What I'm doing is no greater or less than the man who is flying next to me or in back of me ..." Marie Rossi


Rossi served as a CH-47 Chinook pilot with the 18th Aviation Brigade, commanding B Company, 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Georgia. Her company deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield in 1990. Rossi was interviewed by a news network prior to the ground assault by Coalition forces. 


She said, Sometimes, you have to disassociate how you feel personally about the prospect of going into war and, you know, possibly see the death that's going to be out there. But personally, as an aviator and a soldier, this is the moment that everybody trains for – that I've trained for – so I feel ready to meet a challenge.


Rossi led a flight of her company's CH-47 Chinook helicopters 50 miles (80 km) into Iraq on February 24, 1991, ferrying fuel and ammunition during the very first hours of the ground assault by the Coalition Forces. Her company would be involved in supply missions throughout the war.


She was killed when her helicopter crashed into an unlit microwave tower in Northern Saudi Arabia on March 1, 1991, the day after the ceasefire agreement. She was buried on March 11, 1991 with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.


The Giant Killer book & page honors these incredible war heroes making sure their stories of valor and sacrifice are never forgotten. The book which features the incredible life of the smallest soldier, Green Beret Captain Richard Flaherty and several of the other heroes featured on this page is available on Amazon & Walmart. God Bless our Vets!πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

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