Women's Veterans Day is June 12!

Women have been proudly serving our country since the Revolutionary War.  Wither as a nurse behind the lines, taking the place of their spouse in battle, disguising as a man to fight, or serving as a test pilot, women have been a part of the military since our nation was conceived.  

I have OIF plates on my car, and have heard countless times, “tell your husband/boyfriend, ‘Thank you for his service.’”  When he has driven my car and is thanked for his service, he replies “I’ll let her know.”  People don’t know how to respond to his response.  Women Veterans don’t fit the stereotype that people have in their minds of a Veteran.

It was not until after World War II that women were allowed to receive the same benefits as their male counterparts.  On June 12, 1948 then President Truman signed in the law The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948.  The act states:

“To establish the Women’s Army Corps in the Regular Army, to authorize the enlistment and appointment of women in the Regular Air Force, Regular Navy and Marine Corps, and in the Reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the “Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948”. (Britannica, 2022)

Many of the women Veterans I have spoken with over the past several weeks did not know there was a such a thing as a Women's Veterans Day, and reached for their phone to fact check what I had just told them.  What caught their eye was that this day is not recognized nationally, they found:

“The first Women Veterans Day was celebrated on June 12, 2018, and is currently a state-recognized commemoration in California, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.” (Schallus, 2022)

The next time you see a women in the VA, ask her which branch she was in.  Please do not assume she is the wife/caregiver/daughter of a Veteran.  She will either thank you, or let you know she is with a Veteran and what branch they were in.

The Women Veteran’s Peer Support Specialist will be at each of the CBOCs around June 12th to celebrate Women’s Veterans Day.  Please stop by and thank our Women Veterans for their service.

If you are interested in reaching out for Peer Services, please contact your primary care or mental health provider. 

For more information about the Madison VA Hospital, visit www.madison.va.gov or www.facebook.com/MadisonVAHospital and subscribe to our newsletters.