Rose Franco is known best for being the first Hispanic woman to become a Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Marine Corps. Rose Franco was born on January 22, 1934 in Guánica, Puerto Rico. Franco was raised in the barrio of Ensenada, located close to the Guánica Bay in the southwest part of Puerto Rico. Despite Franco being born into a poor family, she was able to finish her primary and secondary education. Franco continued with college for a brief period, where she took classes in business administration. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, Franco surprised her family when she announced to them that she will be leaving college in order to join the United States Marine Corps. Franco’s family believed that a woman’s destiny was to get married and raise a family as a housewife while she believed and felt that it was her patriotic duty to serve in the armed forces. Despite her family’s objections, Franco enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on February 8, 1952 at the age of 20. Franco was sent to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina where she underwent basic training. After completing her basic training, Franco underwent advanced training at Camp Lejeune. Once Franco completed her advanced training, she was assigned to the duties of administrative supply assistant at Camp Pendleton in California. Franco returned to Puerto Rico in 1956 after completing her four-year enlistment and found an office job working for Pan American Airlines. She soon found this office job boring and reenlisted in the Marines. Franco was assigned to the 1st Marine Corps District in Garden City, Long Island, New York, where she attended Long Island University during the night. After two years with the 1st Marine Corps District, Franco was sent to work as an administrator at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina. In 1965, Franco was named Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, Paul Henry Nitze. Franco was named by the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She was later promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer by the recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy and reported to work in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. At the time, Franco was only 1 of 11 women Warrant Officers in the United States Marine Corps. Franco would go on to hold various important positions in The Pentagon during the rest of her military career. Franco retired from the United States Marine Corps in 1977 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. Rose Franco was awarded with the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars, and the National Defense Service Medal with 1 Bronze Service Star.