Today is the 73rd Anniversary of President Truman Executive order 9981 which he signed on June 12, 1948. This Executive Order was known as the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act (pub.L. 80–625, 62 Stat. 356)

It legally permitted Women to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces in a number of official capacities. Prior to then, only women nurses could serve in the regular and reserve forces during peacetime.

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Why do we even need a Women Veterans Day?

Women have served in America’s wars and conflicts throughout America’s history and performed many jobs, playing vital roles in the Revolution, serving as soldiers, raising morale, and spying on the enemy. 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 as nurses and support staff, such as the Hello Girls, formally known as the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit. In World War II, 140,000 women served in the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) performing critical jobs, such as military intelligence, cryptography and parachute rigging. In August 1943, the WAFS and WFTD merged into a single unit for all women pilots and formed the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), who flew more than 60,000 miles in two years. During this time, the 6888th Battalion was formed as the first and only all Black Female Women Army Corps (WAC) unit to be deployed overseas during WWII. Their nickname was “Six-Triple Eight” and their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.”

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Today there are still many women Veteran history lessons to be taught. The first Women Veterans Day was celebrated on June 12, 2018, and is currently a state-recognized commemoration in California, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

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There are currently almost two-million women Veterans in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Territories/Foreign, according to VA. We’re working hard to ensure that women Veterans are treated with the respect and dignity they have earned and deserve. To help achieve that goal, VA Secretary Dennis McDonough has made it clear since assuming his new role that all VA staff, patients, families, caregivers, survivors, visitors and advocates must feel safe in a workplace free of harassment and discrimination.

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Women Veterans Day is not a separate day for women Veterans, it is a tribute to a groundbreaking day when women were acknowledged as essential to the war efforts and could serve in the regular armed forces.

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The Motown Women Veterans Association is celebrating its 2nd Annual “Women Veterans Recognition Day. They are hosting “Battle Cry” for all the Women Veterans.  We want to thank them and their President for inviting all women veterans to celebrate with them.