Life Story: Maria Connie Villescas (1960– )

Maria “Connie” Villescas was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1960. 

Connie joined the United States Marine Corps in 1982. She wanted to leave her hometown of Los Angeles and wanted structure in her life. Connie’s sister and her uncle also served in the Marine Corps.

Connie started boot camp in January 1983. At the time, women recruits in the Marines received different training from male recruits because women in the military were not allowed to participate in active combat. 

After boot camp, Connie first worked at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Here she learned how to operate 18-wheeler trucks. She was one of the first three women in this position.

For the next four years, Connie drove tractor trailers at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. Most of her male colleagues did not think a woman could do this work, especially not Connie who is 5 feet, 2 inches tall. She proved to everyone that women could drive large vehicles just like men.

In 1987, the military invited Connie to become a truck-driving instructor. She was the first woman to teach other marines how to drive 18-wheeler vehicles.

On August 2, 1990, Iraq, led by dictator Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait. Kuwait is a small state on the Persian Gulf in the Middle East. Iraq argued that the invasion was intended to reclaim territory that had previously been part of their country. The United States, however, believed that Iraq wanted access to more oil. 

The United States and the United Nations demanded that Iraq withdraw their troops. Saddam Hussain refused. 

Within days, President George H. W. Bush launched Operation Desert Shield in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. As the commander in chief, he sent American troops to Saudi Arabia, an American ally, to set up operations and help Kuwait.

The military deployed Connie to Saudi Arabia. She was worried about going to war, especially as a woman. Before the Persian Gulf War, women who served in the military were not sent to fight in active war zones. Under the law, women were not allowed to participate in active combat and female soldiers supported troops on the ground. Even if they did not fight themselves, they were close to danger. But Connie and the other women had never received combat training. 

Leaving behind her partner and two children was emotionally difficult as well. She could not talk to fellow marines about missing her family, because the military could legally expel her if they found out she was a lesbian. The anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment within the military was so strong that some people within the military tried to catch LGBTQ+ soldiers at gay and lesbian bars so they could be kicked out. Fear of exposure made a stressful situation even more challenging for Connie. 

Connie arrived in Saudi Arabia in October of 1990. Her job was to assist in setting up camps for arriving American soldiers. As a driver, she was also responsible for transporting water and fuel to the marines located close to the border of Kuwait.

Connie had not expected to find herself in a war zone when she joined the marines. One night, she was woken up by bombs. Connie helped the other 14 women in her unit to safety, rushing out of her tent only wearing sweatpants. The following night, she went to sleep in her camouflage uniform and combat boots, a practice she continued for the duration of the war.

On January 17, 1991, the conflict transitioned from Operation Desert Shield to Operation Desert Storm. The United States led a coalition of 35 countries in an air campaign after attempts to solve the situation through diplomacy failed. The U.S. Air Force launched attacks on Iraqi military targets throughout Iraq and Kuwait.

After six weeks of air bombings, the coalition began a ground campaign in Kuwait. Connie’s commanding officer, also a woman, told Connie she had to join.

Connie was confused, because officially women were not allowed in combat. The officer explained that while women were not allowed to go into combat, they needed her to drive the resupply vehicles because nobody else was available. Connie agreed to go, but she demanded that her actions and those of the other female drivers be documented. 

Going into an active war zone was stressful enough. But on top of that, Connie was having her period. There were no bathrooms in the desert, and they were surrounded by minefields. Connie asked two young male colleagues to help her. She told them that she was having her period and needed them to stand guard when she needed a private moment to change in the field. Connie was relieved that the two men assured her they would support her no matter what.

Years later, she described the incident in an interview saying, “Modesty goes out in war.” Military leaders often cited menstruation as a reason to keep women out of combat. Connie believes it is important to talk about her experience, because she showed that she could successfully serve even while having her period.

The Gulf War ended after only 43 days, when American troops were able to successfully force Iraqi troops out of Kuwait. Connie spent the next three months in Saudi Arabia, assisting with the breakdown of the camp she helped set up. She then returned to the United States, followed by a yearlong deployment in Japan.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton instituted the policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” It repealed the ban on LGBTQ+ service members, but it also required them to keep their sexual orientation a secret. While the policy technically protected Connie and other LGBTQ+ soldiers, it did not allow them to be themselves for as long as they served. President Barack Obama repealed the controversial policy in 2011.

While in Japan, Connie realized that the Gulf War had impacted her mental health. Her relationship had ended, and her personal life had suffered. She needed time to process her experiences and decided to leave the marines in 1994. Connie enrolled in college and became active in the LGBTQ+ community. 

• boot camp: A training camp for people who have just joined the military.
• combat: The fighting in a war.
• deployment: The act of positioning troops in preparation of military action.