Edgewood’s newest community park has been named in honor of Mildred C. Kelly, a trailblazer in the U.S. Army who became the first Black woman to hold the highest enlisted position at a major Army installation.
In 1972, while serving at the Pentagon, Kelly first made history when she became the first black female Sergeant Major in the Army. Two years later, she was promoted to Command Sergeant Major at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Kelly retired from the Army in 1976.
Kelly, a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, died at the age of 75 in 2003 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
According to a 1995 C-SPAN interview, at age 22 Kelly was working as a teacher when she and a group of friends decided to take the entrance exam to enlist in the military. On the day they were scheduled to enlist, she was the only one who showed up.
“I sort of went in on a spur of the moment type thing,” she said in the interview. “I really didn’t intend to stay in.”
Kelly spent 26 years in the military, forging new paths for African American women.
After retiring, she worked alongside the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation to create a museum recognizing women’s achievements in the military. The museum, known as the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, is located at the entrance of Arlington National Cemetery. The space houses artifacts, photographs and memorabilia outlining the history of women in the Armed Forces.
“I think this is mecca for the women,” she said in the 1995 interview, describing the memorial. “It’s been a long time coming, long overdue.”
Melissa Derisca, 40, of Edgewood, visited Mildred Kelly Park this week. She said she didn’t know much about Kelly before the park was created, but once she learned of Kelly’s background, she was honored to bring her child to a place with such historical significance.
Derisca sees the park being used for lots of community-driven events, providing residents with a space to come together and build memories.
“It’ll help us cater to the mental health of our community, just to get out [in the] open,” she said. “I see gatherings, family cookouts, barbecues and we don’t have to go far to embrace our community.”
The 5.5-acre park, located at 2021 Yahde St., is military-themed, equipped with a tank-shaped jungle gym, a walking path, and a large gazebo. The land the park sits on was previously used as military housing for Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The project was funded through grants from Harford County and various other outlets, including a Community Development Block Grant.
“It’s fitting that this site, once home to military families, will now carry her name and her story as the park continues to serve the community,” said Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly in a news release.
Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.
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