For A Black Woman In The Military, Harassment Was Its Own Battle

Inspired by her father's passion for military service, Denise Baken joined the Army in 1975 at age 24, looking to follow in his footsteps.

But the retired colonel didn't realize how closely her father's experience in the military mirrored her own until she faced challenges — both as a woman and an African American — over her 28 years of service.

"As a black man in the military in the 40s and 50s, my dad had suffered such abuse," Baken, 69, told her daughter and son last month, in a StoryCorps interview. "One time, he was called the N-word, and he got so mad at this officer, he slugged him. And he was the one brought up on charges, and he was reduced in rank."

But her father soldiered on, Baken said, "Because he loved the military. And it was because of him that I loved the military."

Like her father, Baken says she too faced racism, and the mental toll it took was only made worse by the sexism she also says she faced.

"The guys loved watching women walk away from them, and they would make their comments," she said. "So I made sure I wore a foundation garment so nothing moved. It was just the way we women handled it then."