A retired Marine Corps colonel has opened up about the misogyny she has faced as a female veteran from both civilians and other service members.
Jincy Canterbury Hayes, 66, from Kentucky, went viral last month after her daughter Whitney Frost shared a TikTok video of her discussing how she is treated as a female veteran.
‘Did you know that women are veterans too?’ she asked. ‘For example, when you park at Lowe’s by the sign that says “Veterans Only,” and you get out and two or three guys come on over and tell you that it’s not for you, it’s for your husband. By the way, my husband was not in the military. He is a civilian.’
Jincy Canterbury Hayes, 66, from Kentucky, opened up about how she is treated as a female veteran in a now-viral TikTok video
The retired Marine Corp colonel recalled how she parked in front of a ‘Veterans Only’ sign at Lowe’s and some guys claimed the spot wasn’t for her, it was for her husband
Canterbury Hayes joined the Marine Corps after she graduated with a journalism degree from Murray State University in 1978
Canterbury Hayes joined the Marine Corps after she graduated with a journalism degree from Murray State University in 1978 and served for 30 years, the Kentucky New Era reported.
She pointed to her ‘USMC Retired’ T-shirt in the video, saying that when she wears it, she is often asked, ‘Oh, was your husband a Marine.’
‘One of my favorites, just recently, I got a telephone call from the VA. I was scheduled for surgery in two days, and so they were calling to discuss that with me,’ she explained.
‘The nurse that called asked to speak with Mr. Hayes. I said, “Well, this is Mrs. Hayes. Can I help you?” And she said, “I want to speak with Mr. Hayes,” and she was kind of snarky about it. And I said, “Well, would you like to speak with Mr. Hayes or the veteran?” Dead silence.’
‘My husband was not in the military. He is a civilian,’ Canterbury Hayes noted
Canterbury Hayes said one fellow service member even had the audacity to ask if she knew ‘which side of the gun the bullet comes out of’
Canterbury Hayes, who was promoted to colonel after years in the Marines, noted that it’s not just civilians who find it hard to believe that she is a veteran.
She described another disparaging interaction she had with a retired service member while in line at the base exchange.
‘This old retired dude was standing in front of me, and he turned around and saw me standing there in my camouflage and with my eagles on my collar, and he said, “What do you do in the Marine Corps?”‘ she recalled.
‘I said, “Well, I’m the G1 of the second Marine division,” and he goes, “Oh hell no, women are not in the division.” [I said], “Well, I guess [they are].” He said, “Honey, do you even know which side of the gun the bullet comes out of?”
‘Just to remind everyone,’ she said, turning her coffee mug around. ‘ Not all GIs are Joes’
‘I didn’t have to hurt him because my son was there and took up for me,’ she added.
At the end of the video, Canterbury Hayes held up her Marine Corps coffee mug that had an important message on the back.
‘Just to remind everyone,’ she said, turning the mug around. ‘Not all GIs are Joes.’
The now-viral video has been viewed 6.9 million times and has received more than 42,000 comments.
Many people thanked Canterbury Hayes for her service while others shared their own experiences with sexism in the military.
The TikTok video was shared by her daughter Whitney Frost last month, and it has been viewed more than 6.9 million times
The candid clip has also received over 42,000 comments, and many people thanked Canterbury Hayes for her service
Other commenters shared their own experiences with sexism in the military
‘Yes! Both of my parents both retired after 20 years of service. But people often don’t acknowledge my mom as a veteran,’ one person wrote.
‘Misogyny is so engrained in us. I’m working on it still. Thank you for this,’ someone else added, while another shared, ‘It is insane the amount of sexism I have seen in the military. But this lady, she is my hero.’
In a follow-up video, she opened up about how she handled being sexually harassed by a colonel when she was a ‘brand new second lieutenant.’
‘I had just reported to my duty station, and I really didn’t know too many people. I think I had only been there about four days. And so my colonel had me pulling some files out of the filing cabinet,’ she explained.
In a follow-up video, Canterbury Hayes recounted how she handled being sexually harassed by a colonel when she was a ‘brand new second lieutenant.’
She explained that she was leaning over a filing cabinet when a full bird colonel pressed himself against her. She said she grabbed his ‘package’ and gave him a warning
‘He was my biggest cheerleader from then on out,’ Canterbury Hayes said
Canterbury Hayes recalled being in her ‘little skirt’ and ‘little khaki shirt’ while she was leaning over into the filing cabinet.
‘Somebody came up behind me and pressed up against me,’ she said. ‘And I was like, “Oh.” It was an excited presence, too. I just thought I would toss that in. I didn’t know anybody that well, so I reached around behind me, grabbed a handful of [coughs] package, and then I whipped around.
‘I didn’t even see who it was yet. I was just looking down,’ she continued. ‘I said, “Are these yours?” And then I looked up to see this full bird colonel standing there with this really bizarre look on his face, like, “Oh, God.”
‘And he said, “Yes.” I said, “Do you want to keep them?” He said, “Yes.” “Then keep them off me.” He was my biggest cheerleader from then on out,’ she added. ‘He was was the colonel of the G4. It was just really crazy.’
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