Marisa Osborne Lindoff, U.S. Army National Guard, 1977-83

Marisa Lindoff joined the Army National Guard in 1977 and did her basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and her specialty training in Fort Gordon, Georgia.  After her training she was stationed in Juneau and Hoonah.  Her first four years she was full time Alaska National Guard, her remaining two years of service were as a “weekend warrior”.

She grew up with four brothers and she describes her upbringing in Hoonah as a “tomboy”.  Her father taught her how to use tools, to hunt and fish; she also wrestled and climbed trees with her brothers. 

Marisa had to fight to get into the Signal Corp.  “Mom taught us not to back down from anything, as a woman… and be strong.  They wanted me to be a cook!  But that’s not what I wanted.  It didn’t take me long to figure out how to work the score system, what branch of service you could go into: Signal, Infantry, Supply, Cook and all that.  I saw the Signal Corp and said hey, that’s what I want!”  Marisa Lindoff was the first female Tlingit and first honor graduate in Communications in the Signal Corp at Fort Gordon; she finished her service as a communications specialist.