On Veterans Day, remember to honor the women who served in the armed forces
Several years ago, after writing a column about Vietnam Veterans, I was invited to speak to a group of veterans at an American Legion Hall. A large gathering was present, and I felt incredibly honored and humbled by the experience. But after I delivered my speech, two women approached me.
“Thank you so much for honoring us,” they said gently. “But did you know that you forgot to mention the women who served?”
I hadn’t realized my oversight until that exact moment, but it has troubled me ever since. Since that evening, my journey with these remarkable men and women has become one of the highlights of my life. I have given many speeches to Vietnam veterans since then, and I make sure to always include both the men and women who served our nation.
As a single working mother for most of my children’s lives, I understand something about the sacrifices women make. I also know what it means to find your way in a world where women sometimes must work twice as hard to be heard and respected.
I experienced that in my own professional life, just as generations of women have experienced it in their fight for the right to vote, the opportunity to serve and the recognition they deserve. Women have never lacked strength or determination. Too often, they have simply had to fight to have it acknowledged.
They gave their lives. They didn’t get recognition.
John Steinbeck, in his book “East of Eden,” wrote, “I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is indestructible.” History proves him right.
During World War II, more than 350,000 women served in the U.S. Armed Forces as nurses, pilots, builders and electricians. They played vital roles in intelligence and communication networks. More than 400 women lost their lives, and 88 were taken as prisoners of war.
Among them was the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-Black, all-female battalion deployed overseas during the war. Driven by their strict motto, “No Mail, Low Morale,” they worked in rotating 24-hour shifts, seven days a week, in the unheated and poorly lit warehouses of England and France. They successfully cleared a massive backlog of over 17 million pieces of mail in just three months.
When the war wound down, they were unceremoniously discharged back home. It took until 2025 for the 855 women of the “Six Triple Eight” to collectively receive the Congressional Gold Medal they so deeply deserved.
During World War II, we also saw the rise of the “Donut Dollies” under the Red Cross. They earned their name because these brave volunteers drove club mobiles to the front lines, frying and serving fresh doughnuts to the troops. Armed not with guns, but with compassion, they risked their lives just to hold a soldier’s hand and listen to their stories.
A generation later, 627 Donut Dollies went into the jungles of Vietnam to protect the mental well-being and boost the morale of active service members. They were part of a larger contingent of about 11,000 women who served our country in Vietnam. Ninety percent of them were volunteer nurses from all military branches, while the remaining 10% held critical non-medical roles in intelligence, air traffic control, communications, administration, and legal services. Globally, 265,000 military women served during the Vietnam era.
‘American heroes come in all sizes, shapes and colors’
Today, there are 2.1 million female veterans living across America. None should be forgotten in a speech, or in our hearts.
Women do not need muscles to demonstrate their strength, nor do they need medals on their uniforms to prove their worth. And during every conflict, the women who stayed home to care for their families while the men served deserve to be honored as well. The mothers who lost their sons in battle, yet continued with courage and quiet dignity, demonstrated an indestructible strength few understand.
Women volunteered for service out of love for their country. They demonstrated their love for family through loss, and for their children through sacrifice. They are the brave, unsung heroes who draw strength from a place deep within the human heart. They continually are moving onward, upward, and never giving up. If it weren’t for the women who served, what more would we have lost without them?
American heroes come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Bravery is not limited to one type of soldier or one kind of veteran; it is bestowed on all who serve with strength born of love for this nation.
This Veterans Day, let us make sure we remember them all.
Lynn Walker Gendusa of Roswell is an essay writer and author of the book “Southern Comfort.”
Send letters to the editor of 250 words or fewer with your name, city or town and contact information to letters@ajc.com.
The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.