The Pledge Welcome to the Women Veterans Corner: at the Gateway To
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The Pledge Welcome to the women veterans corner: At the gateway to the Arlington National Cemetery is the Women in Military Service for America Memorial or the Women’s Memorial. It is considered one of the hidden gems within the Nation’s Capital. The memorial has been closed for about seven months during the pandemic. On October 18 it will re-open with its first statute titled The Pledge, which honors all military women. The Pledge was unveiled on October 17 in a private ceremony. In bronze, it shows a woman in a combat uniform kneeling face to face with a military working dog. On its base it says it honors “All Women in the US military, past, present and future.” It was commissioned by the U.S. War Dogs Association. Women have been serving since the Revolutionary War to present. On the monument, is a quote from Army Corps nurse Anne Sosh Brehm, the first Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II. “Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom. That our resolve was just as great as the brave men who stand among us. And with victory, our hearts were just as full and beat just as fast, that the tears fell just as hard for those we left behind.” This monument comes after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a leading voice for gender equality and women’s rights in the military. A bipartisan Bill was announced on Capitol Hill, the “I am Vanessa Guillen Act” would appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate all sexual misconduct allegations. The investigation would no longer be in the hands of the chain of command. This way the offender will not be protected any longer the way they have been in the past. Accountability is where they are trying to get to. They are making strides, but it is a long way to go. In other news, the nonprofit, Foundation for Women Warriors is continuing their child care assistance program. They provide stipends for daycare to mothers of children 0 to 5 years old. As well as help with COVID-19 distance learning, learning pods and hybrid learning. This allows student veterans and working mothers to help maintain employment and pursue educational goals while offsetting the cost of childcare. Stipends are paid directly to licensed care providers. You can apply at https://foundationforwomenwarriors, This is also a great resource for women veterans transiting out of service. I have a couple of DAV shout outs. The first is Mary E Clarke. She is the Army’s longest serving woman. She enlisted in the Woman’s Army Corps (WACS) just before World War II ended. By the time she retired in 1981, she had worked her way up from Private to Major General and served for 36 years. One of her jobs included final director of the WACS before it’s dissolution in 1978. She was the first woman to serve as Major General and commanded the US Army Military Police School and the Army Chemical Schools at Fort McClellan, Alabama. This was the first time a woman commanded a major army installation. My second shout out goes to Lori Piestewa. She was the first woman in the military to die in the Iraq war and the first Native American woman in the armed forces to die in combat. She was a member of the Hopi tribe, daughter of a Vietnam veteran and granddaughter of a WWII veteran. Jessica Lynch who served with her, remembers her driving through flying bullets and said she remained under complete control. After their vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), Piestewa, Lynch and another service member Shoshana Johnson were taken prisoner. Piestewa died of wounds from the RPG shortly after their capture. The last shout out for the day, goes to the oldest living Marine who turned 107 on September 19. Yes you guessed it, it’s a woman. Dorothy Cole decided to join the Marine Corps after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. During World War II, Cole was part of “female integration“ in a male- dominated field. Women have been in the Marine Corps since 1918. From one Marine to another: “Happy Birthday Dorothy. Semper Fi.” As with all our newsletters, if there is something of interest or importance you would like to see in our report, please contact me at 920-915-8381, or you can contact the State office. Starting next month I will be highlighting the different women on the committee. I think it’s important that you get to know them and the work they are doing for DAV. Please continue to be safe and healthy and we will talk again next month. Respectfully, Sandy Pharis Women Veterans Committee Chair .