Miranda “Randy” Bloch not only served as a Marine during World War II, she was one of the rare women Marines to be issued flight orders, helping pilots and air crew train for radar bombing runs. Bloch was born in Jerusalem, where her father had gone as an aide to General Pershing during WWI, but grew up in Philadelphia. She enlisted as a Marine in 1943 at age 21, when she no longer required her father’s permission, and trained at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina. Bloch showed an aptitude for mechanics and was sent with 29 other women to train on experimental radio aircraft gear, learning to install and repair radio gear in mid-flight. She had to learn to use a parachute in case the crew needed to abandon their plane over the ocean, and logged countless hours in flight time during training missions. After the war, Bloch continued her involvement with the Marine Corps, eventually becoming president of the Greater Philadelphia chapter of the Women Marines Association.