Montgomery County’s Commission on Veterans Affairs will join in the Maryland celebration of Women Veterans Day on Wednesday, June 12, with a virtual tribute to the County’s female veterans and a tribute display set up at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Downtown Silver Spring.
Women Veterans Day is an official day of recognition in many states. However, it is not a nationally recognized day of honor. Maryland has recognized Women Veterans Day since 2023.
The United States on June 12, 1948, approved the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act in 1948, which allowed women to become permanent members of the military. The act also allowed African American women to serve in the military.
Before the act was approved, women could only serve in the reserve and regular forces during peacetime, and only as nurses. Today, women serve in all military occupational specialties, including intelligence, logistics, munitions and combat.
"Today, as a female veteran and vice chair of the County veterans commission, I stand in solidarity with my fellow sisters-in-arms, honoring their extraordinary contributions to our nation's defense,” said Anneke Vandenbroek, who is vice chair of the Commission on Veterans Affairs. “As we celebrate Women Veterans Day, let us recognize not only the collective bravery and sacrifice of women in uniform, but also the unique journey of each individual who has served. It is a privilege to join hands with these remarkable women, amplifying their voices and ensuring their stories are heard and honored."
The Commission on Veterans Affairs’ tribute to Montgomery’s female veterans can be found at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS-Program/ADS/VETERANS/WomenVeterans.html.
The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at 1 Veterans Pl. in Silver Spring.
“The movement to have the contributions of women to American’s military efforts formerly recognized continues to gain momentum nationally and in Maryland,” said Michael Wilson, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran who chairs the Commission on Veterans Affairs. “In Montgomery County, we have long-recognized how women have helped the military efforts of our nation, literally going back centuries. We created this online tribute and the display in Silver Spring to honor our women veterans and we look forward to seeing the number of tributes continue to grow.”
Women have served in America’s wars and conflicts throughout history. They played vital roles in the Revolutionary War, serving as soldiers, raising morale and spying on the enemy. It is known that some even disguised themselves as men to be able to serve.
More than 400 women fought in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. During World War I, about 35,000 women officially served. Women served in lifesaving roles such as nurses, and critical support staff roles such as the Hello Girls, formally known as the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit. In World War II, 350,000 women served in the U.S. military in occupations such as nursing, military intelligence, cryptography and parachute rigging.
In August 1943, the Women’s Flying Training Detachment and the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) merged into a single unit for all women pilots and formed the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). They flew more than 60 million miles in two years. During this time, the 6888th Battalion was formed as the first and only all-Black Women Army Corps unit to deploy overseas during WW II. Their nickname was “Six-Triple Eight” and their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.”
A veteran can share their story, or someone can share the story of a friend or family member by filling out the Commission’s Google form or PDF form. Be prepared to provide the following information:
- Veteran’s name
- Name of person submitting information and relationship to the individual
- Branch of service and rank
- Years of service
- Era served (WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Global War on Terror or peacetime/other)
- Brief narrative about their service
- Must have been issued a Department of Defense DD-214 Veteran status
- Connection to Montgomery County (where the individual currently lived, attended high school or college/university, etc.)
- Photos (preferably one during their service and one in their civilian life)
Visit the Commission on Veterans Affairs website for more information about its work.
