Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour made history as the first Black woman aviator for the U.S. Marines, and also became the first Black woman combat pilot across the U.S. Armed Forces. Armour is now a motivational speaker and author and one of the faces of a campaign aimed at recognizing the contributions of women.
Armour was born in 1973 in Chicago but was raised primarily in Memphis, Tenn. She hails from a military family as her father was one of the first Montford Point Marines and both her father and stepfather served as well. While enrolled in Middle Tennessee State University, Armour joined the school’s ROTC program and the U.S. Army Reserves.
In 1996, Armour made a little-known historic mark, along with fulfilling a life’s goal, by becoming the first Black woman motorcycle cop in Nashville, TN. Armour made history once more in Tempe, Ariz. after becoming the city’s first Black woman officer.
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