From minister's daughter to major general: The inspiring journey of Susan Pamerleau
San Antonio - SAN ANTONIO - Susan Parmerleau was a general, a vice president at USAA, the sheriff of Bexar County and now, the U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas.
Tonight, we look at her rise up the ranks.
She was the daughter of a minister, and not in her wildest dreams did this little girl ever think she would serve her country.
"I had absolutely no thought of that," Susan Pamerleau said.
While in college in Oklahoma, her parents moved to Wyoming. Soon, Susan Pamerleau would transfer to the University of Wyoming, and the opportunity that would change her life would present itself.
I don't think it would have ever entered my mind. I was in Kappa Delta. It was announced one day in November of 1967, the beginning of my senior year, that there was an Air Force recruiter who was going to visit our sorority and talk to us about opportunities. And we all laughed, you know, it was the height of the Vietnam War. And, you know, there just wasn't any thought about women going into the armed forces at that time.
That little visit is what set Pamerleau on the way to Texas.
Pamerleau tells us "I went into the Air Force, came here to San Antonio, to Lackland, to Officer Training School, and that was the only commissioning source for women at the time. Neither the academies nor ROTC were open to women at the time."
Her original plan was to meet her husband, get married, get pregnant, and be separated from the Air Force. But in 1968, the National Defense Authorization Act was passed into law, allowing women to rise above the rank of Lt. Colonel, and they could make up more than 2% of the armed forces.
But the law didn't make it easy for Pamerleau in a world that belonged to men. That was very evident the first time she had to reprimand a male.
"I explained what I was giving him the letter of reprimand for, and that he must sign this acknowledgment. And he said, well, I'm not going to sign it. I refused to sign it. Besides that, I don't think women should be in the military," remembered Pamerleau.
While some men fought the integration of women, Pamerleau says others mentored her in dealing with issues like this one: insubordination.
I said, you don't want to sign it. That's no problem. I will sign it and acknowledge that you refused," she said. "And then as he was walking out, he said, well, if I ever see you on the street, I won't salute you. I said, well, then you'll probably be back in here again. And we'll be having a similar conversation. And, you know, so I learned early on about how to deal with situations like that. However, I continued progressing. I loved what I did.
The first time she was told she was going overseas, it was to Korea. Pamerleau admits she cried and soon got over it.
The challenges of being a female officer, which included dealing with unwelcomed gestures made by her male superiors, continued to be lessons she learned to deal with.
He walked in, and he put his arm around me. And I very quietly and without making any big deal, removed his arm from my shoulder. And I just whispered to him, 'Don't ever do that again.' Well, he didn't talk to me for the next three months, I really didn't care. But it got the point across that kind of behavior was not acceptable because I wanted them as airmen and sergeants to know it was not acceptable, and that I didn't put up with that. And so, I learned early on how to respond.
Pamerleau believes the first and second stars as a general were icing on the cake of a long career of service to her country. And being the fourth woman to ever be selected to the rank of major general in the active force was the highest honor for her.
Today, a woman can reach the rank of four-star general," she said. "It's just amazing the opportunities, and I think it's a matter of not having expectations, but working hard and doing everything you can to contribute to the organization. And that's what I've tried to do and I've had a great time all along the way.
After her retirement, Pamerleau worked for USAA as Senior Vice President, then was elected to Sheriff of Bexar County. Now she is the US Marshal for the Western District of Texas. And there are no signs of her slowing down.