The Indomitable Woman

“All I knew, I wanted to help those guys in any way I could. I believe in freedom.”

~ Maria Gulovich

Maria, the first woman to be honored with a review of cadets at West Point, receiving the Bronze Star, circa 1946.

Maria Gulovich, a young Slovakian schoolteacher, was only 23-years-old when she began harboring Jews from the Nazis. She joined the underground resistance and began working for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) as a guide and interpreter.

Maria repeatedly risked her life to assist the OSS, including guiding a small group of American and British intelligence officers for nine weeks through the rugged mountains of Slovakia, in a blizzard, while being hunted by Nazis.

Her bravery and her indomitable spirit caught the attention of OSS Director William "Wild Bill" Donovan and future CIA Director Allen Dulles, who helped Maria become a US citizen in 1952. Maria was also the first woman to be honored with a review of cadets at the historic US Military Academy at West Point, where she was awarded the Bronze Star for her heroic service on behalf of the United States.

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