Marie Rossi

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. Early life and education Rossi was born in Oradell, New Jersey, on January 3, 1959, the third of four children born to Paul and Gertrude Rossi. Her father was a book bindery treasurer, and her mother was a secretary for a Wall Street firm. In 1976, she graduated from River Dell Regional High School and began attending Dickinson College, where she also joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Rossi graduated in 1980, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Career As a Captain, Rossi was selected to attend Army Flight School at Fort Rucker. She was assigned to the Charter Member Class of the Army Aviation Branch in 1985 which included many notable graduates. This class was composed entirely of Commissioned Officers. The class was designed to commemorate the establishment of the branch for the first time since The Army Air Corps became the US Air Force after WWII. As the ranking officer she was made the class leader.