By Kara Crump
Staff Writer
Chester County’s Gloria Holiday was recently named the 2024 Sterling Award for Outstanding Woman Military Veteran. The Jackson Area Business and Professional Women held an awards ceremony Tuesday, April 9, 2024. The Sterling Awards honor west Tennessee women who have achieved great success and set a beneficial example for their involvement in the community.
Holiday is a retired Marine Corp USMC Master Sergeant E8, only one of 1500 women when she joined in 1973. She joined the Marine Corp toward the end of the Vietnam War and spent time as a Senior Drill instructor. Known to be very prestigious, she will be adding this award to her many previously won medals, accolades and laurels.
Her inspiration to join and pursue a Military career makes sense when you hear she comes from a full Military family. Her father, Cornell Brown, is an Army Veteran that was stationed in the Korean War. Holiday grew up an Army brat, as did her siblings. Her sister Audria and brother Dexter were in the Army and eldest brother Henry and youngest brother Dennis were in the Marine Corps. Her husband Frank Holiday Sr. is also a Marine Corps Military Veteran. Her son Frank Holiday Jr. is currently serving in the Army, and her daughter Maria is currently serving in the Air Force.
Holiday retired from the Marine Corps in 1994, serving and protecting her country for 21 years. During the beginning after she had joined, she was stationed in California at Camp Pendleton during the Vietnam War. Later, she became stationed in Okinawa Japan. Advice that Gloria would like to give women who want to join or are currently serving is, “Make sure you have a purpose. Know that purpose. Know why you joined.” She also advised, “Stand your ground. Stand up and be accounted for.” Gloria has proven that she lives by the advice she gives, being one of the few women serving in the beginning of her Marine Corps career. If given the option, Gloria stated that she would, “Do it all over again.”
