Mercedes O. Cubria

Lieutenant Colonel Mercedes Olympia Cubria (April 15, 1903 - October 14, 1980), a.k.a. "La Tia" (The Aunt), was the first Cuban-born female officer in the U.S. Army. She served in the Women's Army Corps during World War II, in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and was recalled into service during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1988, she was posthumously inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.

Early years Cubria was born in Guantanamo, Cuba on April 15, 1903. When Cubria was 3 years old she lost her mother, she also had 2 sisters along with her. When she was 13 years old, her and her family moved to the United States. In 1924 she became a certified nurse and became a naturalized citizen. She worked as a nurse, an interpreter, and a rancher in the years leading up to World War II.

Military service On July 3, 1943, the WAC bill established the Women’s Army Corps as an integral part of United States Military. The bill was signed into law (Public Law 78-110), and became effective on September 1, 1943. Cubria enlisted in the Women's Army Corps after the U.S. entered World War II and, after her basic military training, she was sent to England for further training in cryptography. Cubria was commissioned with the rank of lieutenant, making her the first Cuban-born female officer in the United States Military.

When the WAC bill established the Women’s Army Corps in 1943, Cubria and her female comrades-in-arms became members of the regular Army.

After World War II ended, Cubria was promoted to the rank of captain. She was assigned to the U.S. Army's Caribbean Theater, based at Quarry Heights in the Panama Canal Zone; she was the first woman to serve in active duty in that theater. The Military Intelligence Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame established by the Military Intelligence Corps of the United States Army in 1988, to honor soldiers and civilians who have made exceptional contributions to Military Intelligence. The Hall is administered by the United States Army Intelligence Center at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

Awards and decorations Among Lt. Col. Cubria's military decorations were the following: