WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2012 – Hundreds of active-duty women and veterans turned out Oct. 20 at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery to celebrate the legacy of more than 2.5 million women who have served in the nation's military.Former WACs, WAVEs, WMs, WAFs and SPARS shared with their active-duty counterparts in the contributions women have made to the U.S. military that are enshrined at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, dedicated by President Bill Clinton on Oct. 18, 1997.
While WIMSA serves as a memorial to all of America's service women, Wilma L. Vaught, president of the Women's Memorial Foundation, said she doesn't consider it a museum, though the building does contain a gift store and features numerous artifacts and photographic exhibits.
"This is more than a memorial; it's an educational center meant to tell the story of women in the military from the American Revolution through Iraq -- it was an opportunity to tell the story of women's service individually and collectively," said Vaught, who enlisted in the Air Force in 1957 and went on to retire as a brigadier general in 1985 as one of only seven women serving as general or flag officers in all of the services at the time. read more>>>
October 22, 2012 - In the past 15 years, military women have led air wings, commanded a carrier strike group and piloted attack helicopters and fighters — all jobs they couldn't get in earlier years.About 14.6 percent of active-duty military personnel are women. It's a racially diverse force, and many current service members have never lived in a world where women were not recruited, promoted or deployed just as easily as men.
The Women in Military Service for America Memorial marked its 15th anniversary Saturday, and those who birthed and nurtured it looked with pride on the progress of their descendants and expressed satisfaction with the recognition that the memorial has brought. read more>>>
No comments:
Post a Comment