This women's memorial honors millions of 'sisters in arms' - PBS NewsHour

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For the 3 million women who have served in the U.S. military, there's a growing effort to highlight and register their place in history. Going back to the American Revolution, they have held a variety of roles, and are now the fastest-growing group of veterans. Judy Woodruff reports on the Women in Military Service for America Memorial’s work to gather and commemorate their names, photos and stories.


https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/this-womens-memorial-honors-millions-of-sisters-in-arms

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1. My sister was proud to have two women as Patriots in her DAR brag list

While I never cared about DAR, I am proud to have women who provided service to establish this country:
Rachel Derrin Quattlebaum and Christina Barbara Epting Osiander.

In addition, my mother served as a Navy Nurse during World War II in Virginia Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita (now known as Camp Pendleton), and Aiea Heights Naval Hospital in Hawaii.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

2. We need to make sure we capture all of the angels of the Army Nurse Corps.

These ladies have seen the ugliest side of combat, yet are never thought of when we talk of PTSD and that is wrong. The men go home or back to the battle field, yet these nurses continue - day in day out - to work their miracles of care and compassion. Many times they bond with the wounded, having helped stitch them back together. They visit the men in recovery. They see men die of the most horrorific wounds of war, yet the bodies pile up in triage and the surgeries keep going. When these nurses need help coping with all of the death and destruction of life, there is almost no where for them to go.

We shame ourselves forgetting about the miracle workers of the ANC.

Ladies, I salute you all. Every last one of you.

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3. My Aunt Muriel was in the first class of officers in the WAVES.

They trained at Smith College. She became a code breaker, stationed first in San Francisco and then at Pearl Harbor. There's a terrific book about the women code breakers in both the Army and the Navy that I just found and am reading. It concentrates on the literally several thousand women who were assigned to work in DC.

[question everything]

4. Great for Aunt Muriel.

The organizers really want to spread their stories.

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5. She was at the dedication of the Women's War Memorial when it opened.

She was so excited about it. I believe her name is on a plaque at the Memorial. She passed away a few years ago at the age of 94.