Women in Military Service for America

Women in Military Service for America. . , Since 1776 more than 2½ million women have served in our military services in the defense of our nation. Beginning with the American Revolutionary War and continuing through the present day, in all military conflicts, including War of 18 12, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean, Vietnam, Cold War, Persian Gulf War and the continuing Global War on Terror, American women have courageously and unselfishly served our country in military service. , Among the millions of unsung heroines are:, Deborah Sampson , The first American woman soldier; enlisted as a Continental Army soldier under the name of "Robert Shurtlief." She served for three years in the Revolutionary War and was wounded twice; she cut a musket ball out of her own thigh so no doctor would find out she was a woman. Finally, at the end of the hostilities her secret was discovered , even so, George Washington gave her an honorable discharge., Jemima Warner , Jemima was the first woman known to have died in combat for the United States. During the Revolutionary War she and her husband James were both volunteers in the Army's First Continental Regiment. She was killed in action in Canada during the Battle of Quebec on December 11, 1775. , Sybil Ludington , "The female Paul Revere." In 1777 Sybil Ludington and her father learned that the British were going to attack the town of Danbury, Connecticut where the Patriot militiamen had stored their ammunition. Because her father was needed to remain in town to direct the incoming militia, Sybil volunteered to round up the militia scattered around the countryside. Throughout the night Sybil rode on horseback more than 40 miles to get word to the militia that they were immediately needed to defend the town. She was 16 years of age at the time of her ride and actually rode farther than the legendary Paul Revere. In great part due to her efforts the British were unsuccessful in their attack and the town with its store of ammunition was saved. , Mary Hays , On June 28, 1778, at the age of 34, Mary carried pitchers of water to General Washington's artillerymen during the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey. During the course of the battle when her husband William was wounded, Mary took his place and kept his cannon firing and helped win the battle. She thereafter became known as "Molly Pitcher." , Sacajawea , Sacajawea, a young teenage Shoshone Native American woman who had been kidnapped by another tribe and purchased by a French trapper to be his wife, was part of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804. She served both as an interpreter and a guide for the expedition. She had a baby boy along the way, yet still continued with her duties. Sacajawea was instrumental in the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition. , Dr. Mary Edwards Walker , Dr. Walker served the Union Army during the Civil War. Even though Mary was a physician, because she was a woman, she was at first only allowed to serve the Army as a nurse. It was only later in the war that she was allowed to serve the troops as a physician. Dr. Walker moved frequently between Union and Confederate lines, treating sick and wounded soldiers as well as civilians on both sides. She was captured and held as a POW for several months in a military prison in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Walker was the first and only woman to receive the Nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor. , Clara Barton , Clara became famous for her work as a nurse on numerous Civil War battlefields providing aid to both sides. Later she nursed American soldiers during the Spanish-American War. In 1881 she founded the American Red Cross, which since its conception has worked with the military to provide aid to soldiers throughout the world. , Harriet Tubman , Before the Civil War, Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave, helped others to escape by way of the "Underground Railroad," a part of which runs through neighboring Scott County, Virginia. During the Civil War she served the Union Army as a nurse, scout and spy and was well known for her kindness and courage., , , , , , , , , , . Civil War: During the Civil War hundreds of women on both sides disguised themselves as men in order to serve their country in the military. It was only when they were killed or wounded was their true identity learned. , World War I: During World War I over 35,000 women served their country in all the military branches of service. More than 400 military nurses died in the line of duty before the war ended. , World War II: During World War II more than 400,000 military women served our country. Hundreds of them died during this time, and many were held as prisoners of war. During this war the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) organized and flew as "civilian" service pilots for the Army. They flew every type of aircraft as test pilots, ferry pilots and anti-aircraft artillery trainers and logged over 60 million miles of flight. Thirty eight of the 1,074 WASPs died serving their country; but even then they were not given military honors or veteran status. Often a collection had to be taken up among these women pilots to transport the bodies of their fallen comrades back home to be buried. The WASPs were given no military benefits during the war. After more than three decades in 1977 the WASPs were at last given military veteran status. , Korean War: When the Korean War erupted in June 1950, women in the armed services numbered 22,000. Roughly 7,000 of these women were healthcare professionals, the rest served in line assignments in the Women's Army Corps (WAC); Women in the Air Force (WAF); women accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or Navy Women's Reserve (WAVES) and Women Marines. 1,000 of these women served in country in Korea; 15 died. , Vietnam War: Over 11,000 American military women were stationed in Vietnam during the war; 8 died. Nurses made up the bulk of women serving. Approximately 60% of the nurses who arrived in Vietnam had less than two years medical training. They received field training, which consisted of how to fire an M-16; ironically they were never allowed to fire these weapons. Because of the guerilla tactics women were in the midst of the conflict. They dealt with extraordinary injuries inflicted by enemy weapons specifically designed to mutilate and maim. It is estimated that 48% of the women suffered from post-traumatic stress and many others suffered health problems associated with Agent Orange exposure. , Desert Storm: Over 40,000 women served in the military during the Desert Storm War which began in 1990. 16 of them lost their lives. , Global War on Terror: The Global War on Terror began after September 11, 2001. Army Pfc. Lori Ann Piestewa, a Hopi Native American, was the first woman soldier killed in Iraq. She died March 23, 2003 (age 23). To date, 115 women have been killed in action (14 have died in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and 101 have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom). Sadly these numbers continue to rise. , Today more than 300,000 women serve in our military forces throughout the world and make up approximately 10% of the total deployed military personnel. At the present time American servicewomen are restricted from serving in certain combat units in all branches of service (except in the U.S. Coast Guard where all assignments are open to women). They nevertheless are serving in all combat areas and perform hazardous duties and continue to give their lives for our country. , On November 11, 1993, the Vietnam Women's Memorial was placed on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans memorial in Washington, DC and was the first memorial placed in our nation's capital honoring women's military service. On October 18, 1997, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial was dedicated. It is located at the Ceremonial Gates of Arlington National Cemetery and is visited by more than 2 million people annually. , Some of the many Washington County, Virginia women who have served in military service for the United States of America:Mary Blakemore . Ann Colley . Anna Elliott . Margaret Keller . Ruth Austin . Verna Mahaffey . Francine Ivery . Laura Whete . Yolanda Minniek . Adell Spears . Linda Straup . Kathy Straup . Janet [illegible] . Rebecca [illegible] . Sydney Smith, , , , , , , , , , , . "From the Storm-Lashed Decks Of The Mayflower ... To The Present Hour, Woman Has Stood Like A Rock For The Welfare And The Glory Of The History Of The Country, And One Might Well Add ... Unwritten, Unrewarded, And Almost Unrecognized." , , Clara Barton, 1911, "Let The Generations Know That Women In Uniform Also Guaranteed Their Freedom. That Our Resolve Was Just As Great As The Brave Men Who Stood 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." , , Unknown Army Nurse, world war two, "The Ground They Broke Was Hard Soil Indeed. But With Great Heart And True Grit, They Plowed Right Through The Prejudice And Presumption, Cutting A Path For Their Daughters And Granddaughters To Serve Their Country In Uniform." , , Secretary of Defense William J. Perry, , June 22, 1995 , "The Qualities That Are Most Important In All Military Jobs , Things Like Integrity, Moral Courage, And Determination , Have Nothing To Do With Gender." , , Rhonda Cornum, Major, US Army Medical Corps, , Operation Desert Storm, "In Every Time Of Crisis, Women Have Served Our Country In Difficult And Hazardous Ways... Women Should Not Be Considered A Marginal Group To Be Employed Periodically Only To Be Denied Opportunity To Satisfy Their Needs And Inspirations When Unemployment Rises Or A War Ends." , , President John F. Kennedy, 1961