First all-female flyover honors late U.S. Navy Capt. Rosemary Mariner

PHILADELPHIA (FOX 29) - For the first time in U.S. history, the Navy conducted a flyover using a squadron of all female pilots on Saturday.

The Missing Man Flyover was performed by nine women over a cemetery in Maynardville, Tennessee, to honor Capt. Rosemary Mariner, who died last week.

Capt. Mariner was one of the Navy's first female pilots, according to the New York Times. She was the first woman to command a naval aviation squadron and later fought to lift the ban on women serving in combat.

She passed away at 65 on Jan. 24 after battling ovarian cancer.

"Captain Mariner was so foundational in breaking down the barriers for women in naval aviation, and that's why I'm so proud and honored to be able to participate in this flyover," Lt. Cmdr. Paige Blok said in a video interview distributed by the Navy.

The Missing Man Flyover was performed during funeral services for Capt. Mariner held on Feb. 2.