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FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REMARKS FOR THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
JUNE 22, 1995
It is an honor to be with all of you for this historic
occasion. As honorary chair of the foundation, I would like to
convey special thanks to General Wilma Vaught and to the many
active duty and retired men and women in our armed services --
who have never wavered from their dream of a memorial for women
in the military.
I also want to thank Secretary Perry, General Shalikashvili,
and all of the Members of Congress who have lent their energy and
support to this project.
A year ago I had the great pleasure of attending the
groundbreaking luncheon for this memorial. On that occasion, I
met a group of extraordinary women veterans who had served in
World War One and World War Two.
They were women who had joined the ranks of our armed
services at a time when gender was an obstacle to promotion and
advancement and to fulfilling one's true potential in the
military. Yet these brave, strong women persevered out of a sense
of duty and faith in our country. Like women before and after
them, they served with honor and distinction. They broke new
ground. They upheld a proud tradition of women defending our
nation that runs the course of American history.
1
In the weeks leading up to today's groundbreaking ceremony,
I have heard from even more women veterans. I have heard from
daughters and granddaughters who were only now learning the full
story of their mother or grandmother's acts of sacrifice and
heroism many years ago.
What has become clear to me is that, in many cases, the
experiences of these women veterans -- however transforming to
their lives -- were stored away like clothes in an attic after
they left the service.
I want to share with you what one daughter wrote me about
her mother, Margaret Loring Zapor [rhymes with Vapor], who
traveled from Arizona to be with us today. Mrs. Zapor joined the
WAACs in 1943 and was part of the European theater during the
final years of the war. But it was only recently that her
daughter, Pat, a volunteer helping with this memorial project,
learned the extent of her mother's military experiences
by reading letters and postcards stored in a hall closet.
Pat Zapor ended a very loving tribute to her mother by
saying: "She's probably typical of thousands of women of that era
who served in the military or the factories, had a life-changing
experience, then came home and got on with the wife-and-mother
lives they were expected to lead.
"When my father died young, leaving Mom with four children
age 10 and under, I suspect her military experiences helped her
survive. She had learned how to be tough, resourceful,
independent and she kept our family together that way
Now
2
I understand a bit better what came before in her life, why she
always said she'd traveled enough for one lifetime, and how she
managed the sheer grit it took to raise four kids alone."
For thousands of women -- and for thousands of daughters and
sons, granddaughters and grandsons -- the memorial being built
will help unearth memories. It will help us all gain a greater
appreciation and understanding of the experiences and sacrifices
of women throughout our history whose contributions too often
have gone unnoticed.
Thank you very much.
###
3
Melanne Verveer
White House
June 9, 1995
Dear Melanne,
I never thought I'd try the ''pull whatever strings you can'' routine.
But this is for Mom, so here goes.
After a good deal of sweet-talking, we finally convinced my mother to
come to Washington for the groundbreaking of the Women In Military
Service to America Memorial June 22. She was a WWII WAC, who did some
pretty amazing things. I'll attach a copy of a summary I'm putting
together for her file at WIMSA.
She doesn't travel particularly easily because of arthritis, and the
fact that she's willing to deal with my three-story accommodations for
a week makes it all the more remarkable.
What finally persuaded her, I think, is the combination of an unspoken
interest in being recognized for what she did 50 years ago and the
realization that by the time the memorial is finished it will be even
harder for her to travel and her daughter may have moved on from
Washington by then.
I've been doing a little volunteer work at WIMSA so I understand the
logistical problems at the groundbreaking. The organizers surely have
''official'' contacts well planned. But I wanted to bring her to your
attention in case there's any way to include her in meeting the
President or the First Lady or any other side activities that the White
House may be involved with in relation to the WIMSA groundbreaking.
You've always been most helpful in our professional contacts and I
don't want to jeopardize that by asking for a personal favor.
But I recently read through dozens of letters Mom wrote home during
the war and saw how her eyes lit up when I asked her about parading down
the Champs d'Elysee on VE Day; about being one of the first people to
know the Germans had surrendered because the message came in on her
shift; about her transition from country-raised convent student to
''First Canadian girl to enter Berlin'' in the Toronto newspapers. (U.S.
citizen, raised in Canada.)
If she weren't my mother, I'd still think she was worthy of notice.
It's a side of Mom I never knew existed and it made me really proud. In
many ways I suspect she's typical of WWII-era women in the military. It
was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience that quietly got bundled
up into a box at the back of the hall closet while they got on with
their wife-and-mother lives.
I'm really not looking for unusual treatment, just that you keep her
in mind if there are any opportunities to plua her in as an example of
why the WIMSA project is so important. She's always been proud of the
things that I've accompTished and I'd love to reciprocate by seeing her
get a little recognition of her own. She'd never seek attention herself
-- too shy and self-effacing. But it'd be great to show her the
country's proud of her.
I realize, of course, the complexity of schedules and the layers of
officialdom involved in things like this, so I've no illusions that
anything necessarily will work out. But I can't imagine ever having such
a good reason to try to take advantage of contacts and I couldn't resist
the attempt.
Many thanks for giving this a look. Call if there's anything else I
can tell you. Work -- 541-3269, Home -- 301-794-7136.
Sincerely,
Pat Zaper
Draft A summary of wartime experiences of Margaret Loring Zapor
compiled by Patricia Zapor
June 1995
10430 - storch Turn
Margaret (Loring) Zapor
734 E. McMillan Dr.
Seabrook mD 20704
Tucson, AZ 85719
301-794-7134
(602) 887-5918
w-202-541-3269
WAAC/WAC March 1943 to Sept. ? 1945
My mother, Margaret Moore Loring Zapor, was born June 26,
1919, in Noranda, Ont. the child of U.S. citizens living in
Ontario because of my grandfather's work as a mining engineer.
O She grew up in rural mining camps in northern Ontario, and was
taught at home until going away to a Catholic boarding school for
high school, then ontoa Catholic women's college in Michigan. She
had traveled little outside Canada and New England, where her
grandparents lived.
Her mother suggested she enlist as ''an adventure. Maybe my
grandmother felt that since three of her sons were 4F and the
fourth was too young, she had a duty to ask her elder daughter to
serve. Grandma was keenly aware of her colonial roots and the
family stories of a Revolutionary War-era ancestor, Naval Commodore
Preble. Patriotic duty was no doubt a greater factor than the
scandal Mom's more ''proper'' aunts felt at the idea of their niece
enlisting.
Whatever the original idea, it was quite a dramatic turn in
Mom's life when in March 1943 she found herself at Fort Ogelthorpe,
Ga., for basic training as a WAAC.
In her first letter home from Ogelthorpe, she wrote on March
5, 1943, of her train trip to ''the sunny south.
''It is cold and raining and anything but warm and sunny
I sure know why they call Kentucky the Hill Country, it is just
full of them, big hills and little hills. And at the foot of them,
on them and in between them are the funniest, shabbiest-looking
little shacks you ever saw, with the family wash hanging on the
much-broken fences. I expected to see 'Lil Abner come out of one
of them any minute.
Her letters described army life in detail -- the uniforms that
didn't fit, the routines, the food, the schedule of Masses, the
rosaries and prayer cards she received from relatives -- and
reassured her family not to worry if they heard from her
irregularly and that she was trying to not eat meat on Fridays,
despite the Army's insistence on serving it.
Near the end of the war nearly three years later, the letters
reflected how her horizons had broadened -- how she had grown up
from sheltered country girl to worldly soldier.
She wrote again of the sights in transit, this time about what
her convoy into Berlin passed. From Berlin, July 7, 1945:
' 'All along the way there were heaps of battered and charred
metal, remains of what, at one time, were the tanks, trucks, cars
and airplanes of the great 'Super German Army. Also along the
roadsides were Nazi graves. Little mounds of earth with a crude
cross or just a stick at one end, and always a German helmet
hanging on it. A few of them had flowers, mainly dead ones.
As she did about Kentucky, she joked about local housing,
though the subject was much more serious:
''They sure have air-conditioned houses! About 75 percent of
them had either a small piece of roof, full of huge holes, or no
roof at all. And a house with four walls, that you couldn't drive
a tank through, was something we didn't see very often.
During her time in the Army, Mom crossed the United States
twice, was posted in Arkansas, outside Los Angeles, San Francisco
(from where she assured her mother that malaria was NOT a problem
in that climate), Scotland, near London, outside Paris, and
finally, in Berlin, a few weeks after the Third Reich had
collapsed.
She saw professional theater and was featured in a photo page
of the San Francisco Examiner while posted in San Francisco. She
crossed the Atlantic on the luxury liners, Acquitania and the Queen
Mary, both converted for wartime use. She had her first airplane
ride, on a transport from England to France. From London, she wrote
of decorating the base church for Christmas with a red parachute.
In Paris, she marveled at the WACs' accommodations in the Aga
Khan's palace, a marked difference from the damp tents they'd
called home in England.
Mom wrote of touring the Reich Chancellory with a journalist.
They picked up pieces of Hitler's broken marble desk and saved some
of the German war medals scattered about. She noted that the
chancellory included a crematorium, with ashes and a nauseating
smell still lingering.
I never knew the extent of my mother's wartime experiences
until Mother's Day, when, considering the recent 50th anniversary,
I asked where she'd been on VE Day.
' ' We were in Paris -- well, just outside Paris is where we
were stationed, she said, nonchalantly insisting on accuracy.
'Paris? That must have been a pretty exciting place to be
that day!''' I said.
'Well, we did parade down the Champs d'Elysee, she humbly
added.
Later that night, she dug out her army memorabilia box. It had
been in the back of the hall closet all my life and I never knew
what was in it.
It contained a treasure trove of letters her mother had saved.
There also were tourist brochures, postcards, photos, medals --
hers and souvenir German medals, and various other keepsakes. Some
were unquestionably historic, like a copy of a TWX message that
came in on her shift -- the first word to Paris headquarters that
the Germans had surrendered, the war in Europe was over.
Clips from her hometown paper and the Toronto dailies quoted
the letters I'd read. My grandmother, a freelance journalist, had
turned them into stories for the home folks. Several noted her
status as the ''first Canadian girl into Berlin, as announced by
the War Department.
It's amazing enough that I never knew all these things, but
when asked directly about memorable Army experiences on a form for
the Women in Military Service to America foundation, all she
mentioned was the ''first Canadian girl into Berlin'' item.
Growing up, we knew Mom had been in the Army, but it was only
when I got into the box that I realized how special her experience
had been and what great memories she had of that time.
She's probably typical of thousands of women of that era who
served in the military or the factories, had a life-changing
experience, then came home and got on with the wife-and-mother
lives they were expected to lead.
When my father died young, leaving Mom with four children age
10 and under, I suspect her military experiences helped her
survive. She had learned how to be tough, resourceful and
independent and she kept our family together that way.
I always knew she'd done a good job of handling a very tough
situation with us. Now I understand a bit better what came before
in her life, why she always said she'd traveled enough for one
lifetime, and how she managed the sheer grit it took to raise four
kids alone.
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REMARKS FOR THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
JUNE 22, 1995
It is an honor to be with all of you for this historic
occasion. As honorary chair of the foundation, I would like to
convey special thanks to General Wilma Vaught and to the many
active duty and retired men and women in our armed services --
who have never wavered from their dream of a memorial for women
in the military.
I also want to thank Secretary Perry, General Shalikashvili,
and all of the Members of Congress who have lent their energy and
support to this project.
A year ago I had the great pleasure of attending the
groundbreaking luncheon for this memorial. On that occasion, I
met a group of extraordinary women veterans who had served in
World War One and World War Two.
They were women who had joined the ranks of our armed
services at a time when gender was an obstacle to promotion and
advancement and to fulfilling one's true potential in the
military. Yet these brave, strong women persevered out of a sense
of duty and faith in our country. Like women before and after
them, they served with honor and distinction. They broke new
ground. They upheld a proud tradition of women defending our
nation that runs the course of American history.
In the weeks leading up to today's groundbreaking ceremony,
I have heard from even more women veterans. I have heard from
daughters and granddaughters who were only now learning the full
story of their mother or grandmother's acts of sacrifice and
heroism many years ago.
What has become clear to me is that, in many cases, the
experiences of these women veterans -- however transforming to
their lives -- were stored away like clothes in an attic after
they left the service.
I want to share with you what one daughter wrote me about
her mother, Margaret Loring Zapor [rhymes with Vapor], who
traveled from Arizona to be with us today. Mrs. Zapor joined the
WAACs in 1943 and was part of the European theater during the
final years of the war. But it was only recently that her
daughter, Pat, a volunteer helping with this memorial project,
learned the extent of her mother's military experiences
by reading letters and postcards stored in a hall closet.
1
Pat Zapor ended a very loving tribute to her mother by
saying: "She's probably typical of thousands of women of that era
who served in the military or the factories, had a life-changing
experience, then came home and got on with the wife-and-mother
lives they were expected to lead.
"When my father died young, leaving Mom with four children
age 10 and under, I suspect her military experiences helped her
survive. She had learned how to be tough, resourceful,
independent and she kept our family together that way
Now
I understand a bit better what came before in her life, why she
always said she'd traveled enough for one lifetime, and how she
managed the sheer grit it took to raise four kids alone."
For thousands of women -- and for thousands of daughters and
sons, granddaughters and grandsons -- the memorial being built
will help unearth memories. It will help us all gain a greater
appreciation and understanding of the experiences and sacrifices
of women throughout our history whose contributions too often
have gone unnoticed.
Thank you very much.
###
2
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
REMARKS FOR THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
JUNE 22, 1995
It is an honor to be with all of you for this historic
occasion. As honorary chair of the foundation, I would like to
convey special thanks to General Wilma Vaught and to the many
active duty and retired men and women in our armed services --
who have never wavered from their dream of a memorial for women
in the military.
I also want to thank Secretary Perry, General Shalikashvili,
and all of the Members of Congress who have lent their energy and
support to this project.
A year ago I had the great pleasure of attending the
groundbreaking luncheon for this memorial. On that occasion, I
met a group of extraordinary women veterans who had served in
World War One and World War Two.
They were women who had joined the ranks of our armed
services at a time when gender was an obstacle to promotion and
advancement and to fulfilling one's true potential in the
military. Yet these brave, strong women persevered out of a sense
of duty and faith in our country. Like women before and after
them, they served with honor and distinction. They broke new
ground. They upheld a proud tradition of women defending our
nation that runs the course of American history.
1
In the weeks leading up to today's groundbreaking ceremony,
I have heard from even more women veterans. I have heard from
daughters and granddaughters who were only now learning the full
story of their mother or grandmother's acts of sacrifice and
heroism many years ago.
What has become clear to me is that, in many cases, the
experiences of these women veterans -- however transforming to
their lives -- were stored away like clothes in an attic after
they left the service.
I want to share with you what one daughter wrote me about
her mother, Margaret Loring Zapor [rhymes with Vapor], who
traveled from Arizona to be with us today. Mrs. Zapor joined the
WAACs in 1943 and was part of the European theater during the
final years of the war. But it was only recently that her
daughter, Pat, a volunteer helping with this memorial project,
learned the extent of her mother's military experiences
by reading letters and postcards stored in a hall closet.
Pat Zapor ended a very loving tribute to her mother by
saying: "She's probably typical of thousands of women of that era
who served in the military or the factories, had a life-changing
experience, then came home and got on with the wife-and-mother
lives they were expected to lead.
"When my father died young, leaving Mom with four children
age 10 and under, I suspect her military experiences helped her
survive. She had learned how to be tough, resourceful,
independent and she kept our family together that way
Now
2
I understand a bit better what came before in her life, why she
always said she'd traveled enough for one lifetime, and how she
managed the sheer grit it took to raise four kids alone."
For thousands of women -- and for thousands of daughters and
sons, granddaughters and grandsons -- the memorial being built
will help unearth memories. It will help us all gain a greater
appreciation and understanding of the experiences and sacrifices
of women throughout our history whose contributions too often
have gone unnoticed.
Thank you very much.
###
3
Melanne Verveer
White House
June 9, 1995
Dear Melanne,
I never thought I'd try the '`pull whatever strings you can'' routine.
But this is for Mom, so here goes.
After a good deal of sweet-talking, we finally convinced my mother to
come to Washington for the groundbreaking of the Women In Military
Service to America Memorial June 22. She was a WWII WAC, who did some
pretty amazing things. I'll attach a copy of a summary I'm putting
together for her file at WIMSA.
She doesn't travel particularly easily because of arthritis, and the
fact that she's willing to deal with my three-story accommodations for
a week makes it all the more remarkable.
What finally persuaded her, I think, is the combination of an unspoken
interest in being recognized for what she did 50 years ago and the
realization that by the time the memorial is finished it will be even
harder for her to travel and her daughter may have moved on from
Washington by then.
I've been doing a little volunteer work at WIMSA so I understand the
logistical problems at the groundbreaking. The organizers surely have
''official'' contacts well planned. But I wanted to bring her to your
attention in case there's any way to include her in meeting the
President or the First Lady or any other side activities that the White
House may be involved with in relation to the WIMSA groundbreaking.
You've always been most helpful in our professional contacts and I
don't want to jeopardize that by asking for a personal favor.
But I recently read through dozens of letters Mom wrote home during
the war and saw how her eyes lit up when I asked her about parading down
the Champs d'Elysee on VE Day; about being one of the first people to
know the Germans had surrendered because the message came in on her
shift; about her transition from country-raised convent student to
'`First Canadian girl to enter Berlin'' in the Toronto newspapers. (U.S.
citizen, raised in Canada.)
If she weren't my mother, I'd still think she was worthy of notice.
It's a side of Mom I never knew existed and it made me really proud. In
many ways I suspect she's typical of WWII-era women in the military. It
was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience that quietly got bundled
up into a box at the back of the hall closet while they got on with
their wife-and-mother lives.
I'm really not looking for unusual treatment, just that you keep her
in mind if there are any opportunities to plug her in as an example of
why the WIMSA project is so important. She's always been proud of the
things that I've accomplished and I'd love to reciprocate by seeing her
get a little recognition of her own. She'd never seek attention herself
-- too shy and self-effacing. But it'd be great to show her the
country's proud of her.
I realize, of course, the complexity of schedules and the layers of
officialdom involved in things like this, so I've no illusions that
anything necessarily will work out. But I can't imagine ever having such
a good reason to try to take advantage of contacts and I couldn't resist
the attempt.
Many thanks for giving this a look. Call if there's anything else I
can tell you. Work -- 541-3269, Home -- 301-794-7136.
Sincerely,
Pat 3aper
Draft A summary of wartime experiences of Margaret Loring Zapor
compiled by Patricia Zapor
June 1995
10430 storch Turn
Margaret (Loring) Zapor
734 E. McMillan Dr.
Seabrook mD 20106
Tucson, AZ 85719
301-794-7134
(602) 887-5918
w-202-541-3269
WAAC/WAC March 1943 to Sept. ? 1945
My mother, Margaret Moore Loring Zapor, was born June 26,
1919, in Noranda, Ont., the child of U.S. citizens living in
Ontario because of my grandfather's work as a mining engineer.
O She grew up in rural mining camps in northern Ontario, and was
taught at home until going away to a Catholic boarding school for
high school, then ontoa Catholic women's college in Michigan. She
had traveled little outside Canada and New England, where her
grandparents lived.
Her mother suggested she enlist as ' 'an adventure. Maybe my
grandmother felt that since three of her sons were 4F and the
fourth was too young, she had a duty to ask her elder daughter to
serve. Grandma was keenly aware of her colonial roots and the
family stories of a Revolutionary War-era ancestor, Naval Commodore
Preble. Patriotic duty was no doubt a greater factor than the
scandal Mom's more ''proper'' aunts felt at the idea of their niece
enlisting.
Whatever the original idea, it was quite a dramatic turn in
Mom's life when in March 1943 she found herself at Fort Ogelthorpe,
Ga., for basic training as a WAAC.
In her first letter home from Ogelthorpe, she wrote on March
5, 1943, of her train trip to '`the sunny south.
''It is cold and raining and anything but warm and sunny
I sure know why they call Kentucky the Hill Country, it is just
full of them, big hills and little hills. And at the foot of them,
on them and in between them are the funniest, shabbiest-looking
little shacks you ever saw, with the family wash hanging on the
much-broken fences. I expected to see 'Lil Abner come out of one
of them any minute.
Her letters described army life in detail the uniforms that
didn't fit, the routines, the food, the schedule of Masses, the
rosaries and prayer cards she received from relatives -- and
reassured her family not to worry if they heard from her
irregularly and that she was trying to not eat meat on Fridays,
despite the Army's insistence on serving it.
Near the end of the war nearly three years later, the letters
reflected how her horizons had broadened -- how she had grown up
from sheltered country girl to worldly soldier.
She wrote again of the sights in transit, this time about what
her convoy into Berlin passed. From Berlin, July 7, 1945:
'`All along the way there were heaps of battered and charred
metal, remains of what, at one time, were the tanks, trucks, cars
and airplanes of the great 'Super German Army.' Also along the
roadsides were Nazi graves. Little mounds of earth with a crude
cross or just a stick at one end, and always a German helmet
hanging on it. A few of them had flowers, mainly dead ones.
As she did about Kentucky, she joked about local housing,
though the subject was much more serious:
'`They sure have air-conditioned houses! About 75 percent of
them had either a small piece of roof, full of huge holes, or no
roof at all. And a house with four walls, that you couldn't drive
a tank through, was something we didn't see very often.
During her time in the Army, Mom crossed the United States
twice, was posted in Arkansas, outside Los Angeles, San Francisco
(from where she assured her mother that malaria was NOT a problem
in that climate), Scotland, near London, outside Paris, and
finally, in Berlin, a few weeks after the Third Reich had
collapsed.
She saw professional theater and was featured in a photo page
of the San Francisco Examiner while posted in San Francisco. She
crossed the Atlantic on the luxury liners, Acquitania and the Queen
Mary, both converted for wartime use. She had her first airplane
ride, on a transport from England to France. From London, she wrote
of decorating the base church for Christmas with a red parachute.
In Paris, she marveled at the WACs' accommodations in the Aga
Khan's palace, a marked difference from the damp tents they'd
called home in England.
Mom wrote of touring the Reich Chancellory with a journalist.
They picked up pieces of Hitler's broken marble desk and saved some
of the German war medals scattered about. She noted that the
chancellory included a crematorium, with ashes and a nauseating
smell still lingering.
I never knew the extent of my mother's wartime experiences
until Mother's Day, when, considering the recent 50th anniversary,
I asked where she'd been on VE Day.
' 'We were in Paris -- well, just outside Paris is where we
were stationed, she said, nonchalantly insisting on accuracy.
'Paris? That must have been a pretty exciting place to be
that day!'' I said.
'Well, we did parade down the Champs d'Elysee,' she humbly
added.
Later that night, she dug out her army memorabilia box. It had
been in the back of the hall closet all my life and I never knew
what was in it.
It contained a treasure trove of letters her mother had saved.
There also were tourist brochures, postcards, photos, medals --
hers and souvenir German medals, and various other keepsakes. Some
were unquestionably historic, like a copy of a TWX message that
came in on her shift -- the first word to Paris headquarters that
the Germans had surrendered, the war in Europe was over.
Clips from her hometown paper and the Toronto dailies quoted
the letters I'd read. My grandmother, a freelance journalist, had
turned them into stories for the home folks. Several noted her
status as the ''first Canadian girl into Berlin, as announced by
the War Department.
It's amazing enough that I never knew all these things, but
when asked directly about memorable Army experiences on a form for
the Women in Military Service to America foundation, all she
mentioned was the ''first Canadian girl into Berlin'' item.
Growing up, we knew Mom had been in the Army, but it was only
when I got into the box that I realized how special her experience
had been and what great memories she had of that time.
She's probably typical of thousands of women of that era who
served in the military or the factories, had a life-changing
experience, then came home and got on with the wife-and-mother
lives they were expected to lead.
When my father died young, leaving Mom with four children age
10 and under, I suspect her military experiences helped her
survive. She had learned how to be tough, resourceful and
independent and she kept our family together that way.
I always knew she'd done a good job of handling a very tough
situation with us. Now I understand a bit better what came before
in her life, why she always said she'd traveled enough for one
lifetime, and how she managed the sheer grit it took to raise four
kids alone.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Internal Use Only
June 14, 1994
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY AT GROUNDBREAKERS LUNCHEON
HOSTED BY THE WOMEN IN THE MILITARY MEMORIAL FUND
MRS. CLINTON: -- are active duty military or
retired military, Members of Congress, other supporters of
this memorial. I particularly want to thank Good
Housekeeping and AT&T for the major commitments they have
made (inaudible) and others who have already been recognized,
and I want to join in the appreciation for Wilma Boggs
(phonetic) who has been the driving force behind this effort.
We were sitting at lunch, in the few minutes that
Wilma has given any of us to eat and I told her how pleased I
was to be part of this effort and honored to be the honorary
chair, and that I had just been thinking about an experience
I had which seemed somehow connected with this incredible
lunch that we are having; and I told Wilma about it and she
said, "well, you have to tell everybody," and I took it as an
order, which seems to be the way to deal with Wilma.
And it was that -- gee, now, it was probably 19
years ago -- 1975 -- I decided that I was very interested in
having some experience in serving, in some capacity, in the
military. So I walked into our local recruiting office. And
I think it was just my bad luck that the person who happened
to be there on duty could not have been older than 21, was in
perfect physical shape.
So I sat down, and I said, you know, I wanted to
explore. I didn't know whether I thought active duty would
be a good idea or reserve, you know, maybe National Guard,
something along those lines. I was already a lawyer and I
thought there were some roles I could perform. I was like
going on and on, you know, trying to justify my existence.
And then this young man looked at me and he said,
"How old are you?" Well, "27." Silence. He looked at me.
And, in those days there, before I learned how to wear
contact lenses, I had these really thick glasses on. He
said, "How bad is your eyesight?" I said, "It's pretty bad. "
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He said, "How bad?" I said, "This is embarrassing."
He said, "How bad?" So I told him. He said,
"That's pretty bad. " And he finally said to me, he said,
"You're too old; you can't see; and you're a woman." And
then he went on; and, since this is the birthday of the Army,
I will tell you what the rest he said was. This man -- young
man -- was a Marine. He said, "But maybe the dogs would take
you. "
I said, "This is not a very encouraging
conversation, so maybe I'll look for another way to serve my
country."
I tell that story because, like many of the women
in this room, that was not an isolated incident in my life;
and although many of us who have continued to pursue our
interests and tried to make our contributions in both
civilian and military life push those feelings far in the
back and kind of just overlook those experiences and, in the
words of a dear friend of mine, "soldier on," no matter what
the consequences or the odds might be, it is a fact that --
as we are here today celebrating this memorial and honoring
the nearly 2 million women who have served since the
Revolutionary War, in every possible way, to support our
military and, as Senator Dole said when he quoted that
wonderful book of Steven Ambrose's, "in ways that made
winning the wars that we have fought as a country possible"
-- that there have been a lot of obstacles overcome.
We have come to a point in history where we can be
talking about this memorial because so many of you -- many
women and many men who supported women in the military
against often tough odds -- have been willing to stay the
course and it is thrilling to see the final barriers fallen,
so that women will be judged by who they are and what their
contribution is as opposed to being stereotyped on the basis
of their gender.
And, for all of the retired military women who are
here, we are so grateful for your groundbreaking. We are so
appreciative of what you have done, sometimes drawing public
attention but, more often, just day after day establishing a
standard of excellence and professionalism on which we could
build to the point now where we have so many women in major
positions of responsibility, including our Secretary of the
Air Force, who is here; and it is very important to thank the
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people who have made this possible -- many who are here,
others who are no longer with it.
It is a time in our country now for all of us to
take stop and to give thanks, as we move into the future.
When my husband and I were in Europe, starting by
honoring those who had been in the Italian campaign,
including his father and including many women who -- although
there in support capacities, often as nurses -- were on the
front lines in a brutal, brutal conflict that knew no
boundaries, we saw the graves of women who were nurses in
hospitals that had been bombed just as they were doing what
they could to ease the pain of that particular campaign.
We went from there to England, where we honored
flyers -- American airmen -- who, again, were supported on
the ground, as General Eisenhower said, by so many women who
made it possible for those brave men to fly the missions that
were necessary, night after night.
In the two months before the invasion of Normandy,
over 2,000 planes and 12,000 airmen lost their lives. And
one of the personal highlights for me was standing, as my
husband, as the Commander in Chief, reviewed British troops
with his military aide from the Air Force by his side
marching with him -- a young woman major -- who carried
herself, and carried all of your hopes, with such confidence
and grace.
And, from there, on to the USS George Washington,
where we saw an extraordinary display of technological
excellence but also real, human accomplishment, and knew that
there would soon be more women to joint the 11 who were
already there, who were there because they were part of a
large community of 6,000 dedicated members of our military
who had important tasks to perform every minute of the day.
And then, on to Normandy. And I hope that all of
you had a chance to share the feelings that those of us who
were there were able to experience because it was an
extraordinary historic moment to be able to pay honor to
those who had come before, many of whom were still there on
those beaches, under those white crosses and those Stars of
David, but many others who had come back. Some had never
been back before.
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But every veteran we spoke with had the same
reaction -- that they knew why they had fought, because we
had had 50 years of peace because of their efforts. And the
women who were there -- the active duty women, the retired
women -- were there as full participants in that honoring
that they so richly deserved.
But one of the things we can do to pay tribute to
all that has gone before is to make this memorial not just a
beautiful building -- which it will surely be, if you have
seen the renderings of it -- but to make it a living memorial
that enshrines the sacrifice and contribution of women and
really represents one more step toward recognizing that all
of us in this greatest of all democracies had a role to play,
a contribution to make, and that women who choose to make
their contribution through the military should finally, as
Pat Schroeder has fought for year after year, be given the
chance to serve their country to the fullest of their God-
given abilities.
That's what this memorial says to me. That's what
I hope it will say to our sons and our daughters. And I hope
it will serve as a reminder to all Americans that women have
played this role since the beginning of our nation and they
will continue to do so in greater numbers with greater
responsibility because our country is honoring its past by
building toward a bigger, better, brighter future for
everyone.
Thank you very much.
Q Mrs. Clinton, we thank you for those words. You
couldn't possibly know how much it meant to us when you
agreed to be our honorary chair. It's meant a lot to the
Foundation, our women veterans, and to the women who serve
today because, from the thousands of requests she receives,
almost on a daily basis, this First Lady chose this project
as one of the very, very few projects that she would lend her
support to in such a significant way.
The support for this memorial started early for
President and Mrs. Clinton because Arkansas was one of the
first states to donate money. During those years when all
states were suffering with budget problems, and still are,
then Governor Clinton, as he did his line item review of the
budget, said, "We've got to fund the Women's Memorial,' and
the money came.
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Mrs. Clinton, we have this gift for you, to
remember this time spent with us, and it's in an easy-open
box.
As you might expect, it's an advertisement for the
memorial -- your own memorial scarf.
And, in addition, we have this cap and, if we don't
see the Commander in Chief out there jogging with it
(inaudible).
MRS. CLINTON: And we were supposed to say -- I
forgot -- that the coins go on sale in July.
Q (Inaudible) looked at it. Now, it would be a
great honor for us if you would join me in presenting an
award to each of our groundbreakers.
First, representing the almost 13,000 women
pioneers who raised their right --
(End of tape.)
*****
THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington
February 10, 1995
Fill Qual
MEMORANDUM TO BILLY WEBSTER
FROM:
Robyn Dickey RD
RE:
Attached letter
Billy, this is something Hillary is very interested in participating in. She did not mention
specifically if she hoped the President would be involved, however, she asked me to have
you and Patti put this on the schedules.
If I can help, let me know.
Thanks.
yes
will No Probably Rai
w/ POTUS
12 noon.
22
THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC.
Dept. 560
(703) 533-1155
Washington, DC 20042-0560
-THE-
(800) 222-2294
WOMEN'S
(703) 931-4208 (FAX)
MEMORIAL
Foundation Honorary Chair
President
Campaign Honorary Chair
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wilma L. Vaught
Barbara P. Bush
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
January 24, 1995
The President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Women In Military For America
Memorial Foundation, Inc. (WIMSA), it is my privilege to officially invite you to
participate in our groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, June 22nd 1995. We would
be greatly honored if you would speak at this event in your capacity as Commander-
In-Chief of our armed forces.
Other invited speakers will include selected top ranking civilian and military
leaders and a very select number of women veterans from across the nation.
Preliminary planning calls for the ceremony to take place from 11:30 am to 1 pm at
the Memorial site, the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery.
Other scheduled events, at which we would welcome your participation, include
a "Reunion" reception for women veterans and women serving today on the evening of
June 21st, and a Gala dinner on the evening of June 22nd. All groundbreaking events
will be held here in Washington, D. C.
Your support of this project, starting with the donation from the State of
Arkansas while you were governor, has helped us tremendously in reaching this
important milestone.
We look forward to your participation in this important event and are grateful
for yours and Mrs. Clinton's continued commitment.
Sincerely,
Witma Wilma L. L Vaught Vanget
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
President
the 352700
to: PATTI
THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC.
Dept. 560
(703) 533-1155
Washington, DC 20042-0560
-THE-
(800) 222-2294
WOMEN'S
(703) 931-4208 (FAX)
MEMORIAL
Foundation Honorary Chair
President
Campaign Honorary Chair
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wilma L. Vaught
Barbara P. Bush
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
Feb
June
November 17, 1994
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
to: Madge
Office of the First Lady
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
re henorary fr: wendy
Dear Mrs. Clinton:
Soli 11/22
chair
Thank you once again for the opportunity to present you with the official Women
In Military Service For America Memorial (WIMSA) commemorative silver dollar
during the Veterans Day observances at the White House.
I was very pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the status of our fundraising
efforts and our tentative plans for "Groundbreaking." Especially gratifying was your
gracious offer to play a role in assuring that we meet the goals necessary to break ground.
Please accept this letter as a confirmation of that discussion, and on behalf of the
Foundation, an official invitation requesting your participation, as our Honorary
Chair, in this important milestone occasion for the Memorial.
Tentatively scheduled to take place over two days, in June, 1995, key
groundbreaking activities will include:
- A "reunion" reception for women veterans and active duty servicewomen on the
evening of June 21st;
- The official groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the Memorial on June 22nd:
and
- A Gala dinner on the evening of June 22nd.
As the actual groundbreaking ceremony plans for June 22nd become finalized, we
will be contacting you and President Clinton with the hope that you would both play key
roles in this significant occasion in the military history of our nation. Invited
participants for this public event will include Administration officials; Congressional
leaders; the Joint Chiefs of Staff and top ranking military from each of the service
branches; women veterans and active duty servicewomen; and the many individuals and
organizations who support this project.
We are honored that you agreed to support the groundbreaking activities by
hosting, at the White House, an informal event (type to be determined) for a small group
-
of WIMSA's very special friends and benefactors, whose assistance and support has made
the Memorial possible.
We are certainly mindful of the constraints on your time, and the many competing
demands. We are confident, however, that with our degree of flexibility, a convenient
time and format can be arranged. With the groundbreaking events taking place over two
days, June 21-22, a White House breakfast, lunch, reception, or tea -- on either of those
days would work beautifully with the schedule of activities.
We were also delighted with your offer to host a similar event for potential
supporters of the Memorial. It would be most helpful to our efforts if this could take
place as early as possible in the first quarter of 1995.
You mentioned to Robyn that you wanted to meet with your staff to explore other
ways to be supportive of our efforts and goals. Please let me know if my staff and I can be
of any assistance in this process.
We'll contact your office in the next few days to follow-up, answer any questions or
provide additional information.
Again, my sincere appreciation and gratitude for your commitment to this
project. Your support for the Memorial has been so appreciated by military women and
veterans across the country. You honored all American military women by taking the
coin necklaces with you for special gift presentations on your recent trip.
We feel your participation in this next major step will ensure the success of this
project making the dream of a national memorial to recognize all servicewomen a
reality.
Sincerely,
Witm
Wilma L. Vaught
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
President
THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC.
Dept. 560
(703) 533-1155
Washington, DC 20042-0560
THE
(800) 222-2294
WOMEN'S
(703) 931-4208 (FAX)
MEMORIAL
Foundation Honorary Chair
President
Campaign Honorary Chair
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wilma L. Vaught
Barbara P. Bush
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
earlignoor
June
22-2.30pm. March 24, 1994
Time:
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
The White House
Fill
Washington, DC
June
Dear Mrs. Clinton:
The Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation (WIMSA)
would be honored if you would join us for a luncheon on June 14 1994, Flag Day, to
thank Members of Congress for their ongoing support of this project. Good
Housekeeping Magazine will co-host the luncheon and is planning a write-up on
WIMSA for its July issue "Editor's Notebook" column. Good Housekeeping has asked if
you would
sunnort of the Memorial for the
column.
Rece
Proposed. Time: 1-2:30pm.
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for this
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ator
Murkowski has already agreed to serve on the Committee. Our program will include a
thank you to Members of Congress. announcement of our ground breaking plans, and
tributes to servicewomen who have been or are "ground breakers" in the military
such as the women who are the first to train for combat jobs in the different branches
of the service as a result of the April 1993 decision to open such positions to women.
22
This event. which will be open to the press, is designated the "Ground Breaker's
Luncheon" in honor of the "ground-breaking" women who will be honored.
We sincerely hope that. as Honorary Chair of the Foundation, you can join us
for this celebration and expression of appreciation to the Congress.
Sincerely,
With Wilma L. LUangt
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
President
THE WHITE HOUSE
wASHINGTON
April 5, 1994
Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught
President
Women In Military Service For America
Memorial Foundation, Inc.
Department 560
Washington, D.C. 20042-0560
Dear General Vaught:
Thank you for your kind letter inviting Mrs. Clinton
to attend a June luncheon.
Since it is difficult to know what the First Lady's upcoming
official schedule will be, I am unable to make a commitment for
her at this time. While it is unlikely Mrs. Clinton will be able
to accept your invitation, please be assured that we will keep it
in mind and contact you if we can accommodate your request.
Mrs. Clinton appreciates your thoughtfulness and sends her
best wishes.
Sincerely,
Pattsfris
Patti Solis
Special Assistant to the President
Director of Scheduling
for the First Lady
G O P Y
from ORM
FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
REMARKS FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
MARCH 1, 1995
[Acknowledgements: Secretary Perry, Assistant Secretary Frederick Pang, Dr. C. DeLores
Tucker, Founder and Chairperson, National Political Congress of Black Women; General
Wilma Vaught (rhymes with TAUGHT), General John Shalikasvili, Togo West, Secretary of
the Army; Jon Dalton, Secretary of the Navy; Sheila Widnall, Secretary of the Air Force;
General Carl Mundy, Commandant of the Marine Corps; Ms. Shasta E. Ali (a-LEE), sixth
grade essay contest winner]
Thank you all so much. It is a great honor to be here to celebrate Women's History
Month 1995. It is a chance for all of us to take special pride in the scope of women's
achievements, which is particularly evident among the women here today who have served or
are currently serving in our armed forces. You have shown that, no matter what obstacles are
thrown your way, women have the ability to fight for and defend their country, and you have
blazed the trail for women in all aspects of our society.
I recently had the privilege of attending a salute to African American veterans, and the
person who introduced the President was Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Early, the first
African American in the Women's Army Corps. Mrs. Early commanded the only battalion of
black women to serve in Europe during World War II, the 6888th Central Postal Directory
Battalion. The group, based in England and France, broke all records for redistribution of
mail to front line troops. I'll never forget the stories she told that night, not only because they
reflect so much of her own commitment and spirit, but also because they reflect the spirit of
all women in the military, past and present. She also demonstrated her wonderful sense of
humor, joking that, in fashion history, it was probably "the first time ever that each woman
wanted to look like each of the others."
However, what I remember the most, was her statement, "We remember the small
battlefields of World War II, such as the battle of the sexes, the battle of the races, and the
common enemy we all fought. In spite of these battles, what mattered most was, we won the
war."
Thanks to women like Lieutenant Colonel Adams Early and the pioneers before and
after her, women are finally getting some of the recognition they deserve for their dedication
and devotion to this country. Whether through Secretary Perry's recent decision expanding
the number of positions available to women, or the 1993 repeal of the exclusion barring
women from serving on Navy combatant ships, this nation is beginning to appreciate the
historic and present-day contributions of women who day after day establish standards of
1
excellence and professionalism in our armed forces. Today, 700,000 women work in military
and civilian positions vital to our national security. They are now flying Air Force and Navy
fighter planes, Army combat helicopters and Navy combat ships. Women command ships,
military units and installations, and serve in top-level positions at major commands and at the
Pentagon. And while between 1987 and 1994, the Department of Defense's active duty
strength declined by over 560,000 personnel, the representation of women increased from 10.2
to 12.2 percent of the force.
Few Americans realize that women have participated in every conflict or crisis this
nation has faced since the American Revolution. Throughout this nation's early history,
women were routinely present with armies in battle. The Civil War saw women on both
sides on an unprecedented scale. Not only cooking, sewing and foraging for supplies, but
also serving as saboteurs, scouts, and couriers. One brave and determined woman, Dr. Mary
Walker, the first American woman doctor, received the Medal of Honor.
In this century, women have proven themselves time and time again. The
contributions of women were vital in both World War I and II, when many were wounded,
killed or decorated in service to their country. Their heroism knew no bounds. This past
summer, my husband had the honor to meet Lt. June Wandrey during the commemoration of
the 50th anniversary of the battle of Anzio-Nettuno, Italy, in World War II. Battling not only
the Nazis, but also hunger, exhaustion, weather, and malaria, Lieutenant Wandrey soldiered
on, working steady eighteen hour days, caring for the sick, wounded and the dying in North
Africa, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg. Her compassion and her commitment to the
American soldiers dying and wounded every day on behalf of their country helped so many of
them make it through their pain and fear. As one soldier's widow said to her, "My husband
died at Anzio beachhead, and all this time I was angry. Now, I've met you, and I know he
didn't die alone."
Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Early in England and France, and Lieutenant June
Wandrey in the Italian theater, and thousands of women like them, risked their lives so that
the next generation of Americans, my generation, would have fifty years of peace.
Today, women in our armed forces are making the same commitment. Women in the
Persian Gulf War were involved so much so that the troops called it "the mom's war."
Thirty-five thousand women served as pilots, mechanics, intelligence specialists, truck drivers,
and ground-crew chiefs. And for this our whole nation must thank them again and again with
grateful awe for their sacrifice.
But much remains to be done. Many older women veterans remain unaware of the
benefits they are entitled to. Some VA hospitals still do not have mammography equipment,
or space to provide women privacy from men. And we must continue to recognize the
obstacles and challenges that women still face.
And we can use occasions such as this one to celebrate the lives of women whose
2
names and faces have not graced the pages of our history books, whose voices have been thus
far dim to our national ear. Today, we are looking forward to a time when our society does
not need to remind itself to note the extraordinary accomplishments of women. There will be
a day when, in passing the lessons of this generation from teacher to student, from parent to
child, we tell the story of women and men without needing to make any distinction.
We have always known that the scope of women's abilities reach far beyond the home
and family, and it is our job, as part of Women's History Month, to raise awareness and
remind our fellow citizens about the many roles women play in our society. Progress will not
be measured just in the jobs women do, but in the choices and opportunities they have before
them to fulfill their potential whether as a soldier, lawyer, businesswoman, teacher,
homemaker, or anything else.
Today, and for the rest of this month, we recognize women for their many
contributions to this country. But we also look to the future, to a time when our daughters
will have greater choices and opportunities for success and happiness because of the choices
and decisions we have made today.
The women soldiers here today are the pioneers, and have set a standard of dedication
and commitment that has made this nation one of the greatest on earth. Thank you all very
much.
###
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Groundbreaking
for The Women In
Military Service For
America Memorial
June 22, 1995
Arlington National Cemetery
Washington, DC
CEREMONY
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Groundbreaking Ceremony Program
WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL
PRELUDE
INVOCATION
United States Army Band
Commander Julia T. Cadenhead, USN CHC
PROCESSION OF FLAGS OF
REMARKS
-
STATES AND TERRITORIES
The Honorable Frank H. Murkowski
Military District of Washington
The Honorable Joseph P. Kennedy II
-0
WELCOME
The Honorable Togo D. West. Jr.
Brigadier General Wilma L Vaught, USAF (Ret.)
Secretary of the Army
President, Women In Military Service For
The Honorable George Frampton
America Memorial Foundation
Assistant Secretary, Department of Interior
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
General John Shalikashvili, USA
Honorary Chair, Women In Military Service
Chairman, Juint Chiefs of Sraff
For America Memorial Foundation, Inc.
The Honorable William J. Perry
Secretary of Defense
PRESENTATION OF COLORS
The Honorable Mary Lou Keener
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
General Counsel, Department
CMSgt Daisy L. Jackson, USAF
of Veterans Affairs
1
Groundbreaking Ceremony Program
THE VOICES OF THE WOMEN
MRS. ANNE PEDERSEN FREEMAN, who turned 94 in
BRIGADIER GENERAL HAZEL W. JOHNSON-BROWN was
May, was one of the 12,500 women to enlist in the
the first minority woman to be promoted to General.
U.S. Nary during World War I. Entering
She serred in the Army Nurse Corps from 1955 to
November 7, 1918, 4 days before Armstice, she
1983, was the 16th Chief of the Corps, and the first
enlisted fur the "duration plus 6 months." She was
Chief to hold an carned docturate degree.
discharged June 30, 1919 as a Yeoman 1st Clas.
SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER SAUNDRA L. O'TOOLE
COLONEL MARY A. HALLAREN joined the Women's
joined this Const Guard in 1979, serving previously
Army Auxiliary Carps (later the Women's Army
in the Const Guard Riserve and the United States
Corps) in 1942, commanding the first battalion of
Marine Corps. She currently serves as Special
WACs sent to the European Theater of Operations.
Assistant to the Master Chief Petty Officer of the
Tra 1947, she became the third Director of the
Coust Guard, the first woman IV holit 88385 position.
Corps, playing n key. role in the enactment of the
Women's Armed Forces Integration Act establish-
MAJOR GENERAL CAROL A. MUTTER entered the United
ing B permanent role for women in the military.
States Marine Corps in 1967. She is the Commander
of the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico,
BRIGADIER GENERAL ANNA MAE MCCABE HAYS
Virginia and the senior ranking woman in theirmed
joined the Army Nurse Corps in 1942, serving
Forces on actire duty today.
overseas during World War II and the Korean
conflict. Inz 1967, during the Vietnam Conflict,
she became Chief of the Army Nurse Corps and
in 1970, became the first тотап promoted to
Brigadier General.
2
GROUNDBREAKING ADDRESS
William J.
Siber President of the United States
Cunton
OFFICIAL GROUNDBREAKING
WilliamJ. Clinton
The President el the United States
Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught, USAF (Ret.)
ssqt. Melissa
Marion Gail Weiss, AIA
Michael Manfredi, AIA
Crane, USMC
Brigadier General Anna Mae McCabe Hays. USA NC (Ret.)
+
Enlisted Person
CLOSING REMARKS
Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught. USAF (Ret.)
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Need Name
NE
United States Army Band
Graciously underwritten by AT&T Government Markets
3
DAIS GUESTS
Need copy here
GROUNDBREAKERS
Need copy here
4
FOUNDATION HONORARY CHAIR
Hillary Rodham Clinton
CAMPAIGN HONORARY CHAIR
Barbara P. Bush
HONORARY GROUNDBREAKING CO-CHAIRS
NATIONAL SPONSORS COMMITTEE
Mrs. William J. Perry
Mrs. Federico Peña
FORMER PRESIDENTS
Mrs. Togo West
President Gerald Ford
Mrs. John Dalton
President Jimmy Carter
Dr. William S. Widnall
President Ronald Reagan
Mrs. John Shalikashvili
President George Bush
Mrs. Gordon R. Sullivan
Mrs. Jeremy M. Boorda
FORMER SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE
Mrs. Ronald R. Fogleman
The Honorable Robert S. McNamara
Mrs. Carl E. Mundy
The Honorable Clark M. Clifford
Mrs. Robert E. Kramek
The Honorable Melvin R. Laird
Mrs. Dennis J. Reimer
The Honorable Elliot L. Richardson
Mrs. Charles C. Krulak
The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld
The Honorable Harold Brown
The Honorable Caspar W. Weinberger
The Honorable Frank C. Carlucci, III
The Honorable Dick Cheney
FORMER CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
of
General John Vessey, USA (Ret.)
5
NATIONAL TRIBUTE COMMITTEE
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD)
Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ)
Senator Frank H. Murkowski (R-AK)
Senator John Breaux (D-LA)
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
Senator Hank Brown (R-CO)
Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA)
Senator Dale Bumpers (D-AR)
Senator Charles S. Robb (D-VA)
Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO)
Senator William V. Roth, Jr. (R-DE)
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Senator Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD)
Senator Larry E. Craig (R-ID)
Senator Alan K. Simpson (R-WY)
Senator Alfonse M. D'Amato (R-NY)
Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Senator Thomas A. Daschle (D-SD)
Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Senator Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT)
Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Senator Robert Dole (R-KS)
Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY)
Senator Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC)
Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND)
Senator John W. Warner (R-VA)
Senator J. James Exon (D-NE)
Congressman Neil Abercrombie (D-HI)
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Congressman Bill Archer (R-TX)
Senator Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)
Congressman Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-MD)
Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA)
Congressman Herbert H. Bateman (R-VA)
Senator Bob Graham (D-FL)
Congressman Douglas K. Bereuter (R-NE)
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Congressman Michael Bilirakis (R-FL)
Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT)
Congressman John A. Boehner (R-OH)
Senator Jesse A. Helms (R-NC)
Congressman Henry Bonilla (R-TX)
Senator Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC)
Congressman Glen Browder (D-AL)
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL)
Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R-KS)
Congressman Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA)
Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth (R-ID)
Senator Herbert Kohl (D-WI) .
Congresswoman Eva Clayton (D-NC)
of
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Congressman Bob Clement (D-TN)
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
Congresswoman Barbara-Rose Collins (D-MI)
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT)
Congressman Philip M. Crane (R-IL)
Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
Congressman Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-CA)
Senator Connie Mack (R-FL)
Congresswoman Pat Danner (D-MO)
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
Congresswoman Rosa DeLaure (D-CT)
Congressman Thomas D. DeLay (R-TX)
6
Katy -
we durease the pt. size
+ leading on these names by
1/2 pt. to give is more room
(ditto for Gala program)
Congressman Ronald V. Dellums (D-CA)
Congressman G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery (D-MS)
Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI)
Congressman James P. Moran (D-VA)
Congressman Calvin Dooley (D-CA)
Congresswoman Constance Morella (R-MD)
Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn (R-WA)
Congressman John P. Murtha (D-PA)
Congressman Robert Ehrlich, Jr. (R-MD)
Congressman John T. Myers (R-IN)
Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA)
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
Congressman Lane Evans (D-IL)
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Congressman Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (D-AS)
Congressman John E. Porter (R-IL)
Congressman Vic Fazio (D-CA)
Congressman Jack Quinn (R-NY)
Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA)
Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
Congresswoman Tillie Fowler (R-FL)
Congressman Carlos A. Romero-Barcelo (D-PR)
Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse (D-OR)
Congresswoman lleana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman (R-NY)
Congresswoman Marge Roukema (R-NJ)
Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez (D-TX)
Congressman Martin Sabo (D-MN)
Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA)
Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder (D-CO)
of
Congressman W.G.(Bill) Hefner (D-NC)
Congressman Norman Sisisky (D-VA)
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD)
Congressman Joe Skeen (R-NM)
Congressman Tim Hutchinson (R-AR)
Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY)
Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA)
Congressman Floyd D. Spence (R-SC)
Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA)
Congressman Clifford B. Stearns (R-FL)
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Congressman Gerry E. Studds (D-MA)
Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy (D-MA)
Congressman Bob Stump (R-AZ)
Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
Congressman William M. (Mac) Thornberry (R-TX)
Congressman Dale E. Kildee (D-MI)
Congressman Peter G. Torkildsen (R-MA)
Congressman John J. LaFalce (D-NY)
Congressman Robert Underwood (D-GU)
Congressman Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Congressman Bruce F. Vento (D-MN)
Congressman Bob Livingston (R-LA)
Congresswoman Barbara F. Vucanovich (R-NV)
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY)
Congressman Melvin Watt (D-NC)
Congressman Frank R. Mascara (D-PA)
Congressman Frank R. Wolf (R-VA)
Congresswoman Jan Meyers (R-KS)
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Congressman Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA)
Congressman Albert Wynn (D-MD)
Congresswoman Patsy Mink (D-HI)
Congressman William H. Zeliff, Jr. (R-NH)
7
WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOARD OFFICERS
Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught, USAF (Ret.)
President
Brigadier General Connie L. Slewitzke, USA NC (Ret.)
Vice President
Espey T. Browning, Jr., Partner, Ernst & Young, USN Veteran
Treasurer
Colonel Sara J. Pritchett, USMC (Ret.)
Secretary
BOARD MEMBERS
Senior Chief Journalist Cynthia Adams, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Mildred C. Bailey, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant Colonel Margaret L Ellerman, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Evelyn P. Foote, USA (Ret.)
Josephine L. Good, USCG Veteran
Command Sergeant Major Mildred C. Kelly, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Mary J. Nielubowicz, USN NC (Ret.)
Lieutenant Colonel Yvonne C. Pateman, USAF (Ret.)
Captain Carolyn V. Prevatte, USN (Ret.)
Captain Ralph E. Spencer, USAR (Ret.)
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Elizabeth F. Splaine, USCG (Ret.)
Mary R. Stout, USA NC Veteran
Brigadier General Sarah P. Wells, USA NC (Ret.)
ok
Lieutenant Colonel Roger M. Whitney, Jr., USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Myrna H. Williamson, USA (Ret.)
Michael F. Clayton, Esq., Legal Counsel
Dovey Roundtree, Esq., Legal Counsel, USA Veteran
06/07/95 10:48
703 683 3740
GRAFIK COMM LTD
$
016/029
GBrking Covers 1-4 6/6 6/7/95 10:09 AM Page C3
0
IN APPRECIATION
The Women In Military Service For America Memorial
Foundation wishes to thank the individuals and organizations
who have supported this project since its inception in
1986. The Foundation's major contributors include:
AT&T Government Markets
The State of Kuwait
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
General Federation of Women's Clubs International
General Motors Automotive Division
Mrs. Mary Hoffman
The Foundation would also like to thank the
The American Legion
following organizations for their contributions of
The American Legion Auxiliary
talent and services to the Groundbreaking:
Paralyzed Veterans of America
BFI
Veterans of Foreign Wars Anxiliary
Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.
Department of the Army
NationsBank
Grafik Communications, Ltd.
Military District of Washington
100
Morgan, Lewis C Bockins
Susan Davis International, Ltd.
Water People
H2O
C3 Grbrk.
s
THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL
Duty. Honor. Pride. These words reflect the spirit of generations of Americans who have sought
to defend the rights and freedom of others. At The Women's Memorial, these words will come
to life in the stories and memories of the nearly two million women who have served in defense
of our nation.
The Women's Memorial will be built at the gateway to Arlington National
Cemetery, our most honored military resting ground. As a gift to all Americans, the four-acre
site and its structures will be transformed into an inspirational and dynamic memorial
that educates as well as honors. Designed by Marion Gail Weiss and Michael Manfredi of
Weiss/Manfredi Architects, the Memorial will include a reflecting pool and an are of glass
tablets, inscribed with quotations by servicewomen. During the day, the glass tablets will serve
as skylights to the Education Center, which will house the Hall of Honor, exhibits, 196-seat
auditorium and the Memorial's computerized Register.
The Register, which will serve as
the "beart" of the Memorial, is a computerized database of the women who have served -
their names, their photographs, their memories. The Foundation has been seeking to register
as many veterans, active duty, National Guard and Reserve servicewomen as it can reach.
More than 100,000 of the 1.8 million women eligible have been registered thus far. All women
registered prior to dedication will be listed as Charter Members of the Memorial. There
ou
is a special "They Also Served" Register for women who served in the Red Cross,
USO and Special Services overseas during conflicts. The Women's Memorial will provide
an important legacy for all generations by capturing the
THE
undocumented history of our American servicewomen. It
LICENSE
WOMEN'S
will be a place of honor for those who served in the past,
MEMORIAL
those who serve today, and those who will serve in the future.
WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC. DEPARTMENT 560, WASHINGTON. DC 20042-0560
C4 Grbrk.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Path
-
Do you
think I new
this
to worry about
3
THE
WOMEN'S
MEMORIAL
Department 560
Washington, DC 20042-0560
The President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
VA
THE
NO
WOMEN'S
RMNG
POSTAGE
MEMORIAL
11/17/94 ND
17 NOM CMF 7:94
1994
029
Department 560
VA
PAMITER
6775288
Washington, DC 20042-0560
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
Office of the First Lady
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
20500=0006 01
THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington
February 10, 1995
Colleen Fill Qual
MEMORANDUM TO BILLY WEBSTER
FROM:
Robyn Dickey
RD
RE:
Attached letter
Billy, this is something Hillary is very interested in participating in. She did not mention
specifically if she hoped the President would be involved, however, she asked me to have
you and Patti put this on the schedules.
If I can help, let me know.
Thanks.
will Brobably Paul
W/ POTUS
12 noon.
22
THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC.
Dept. 560
(703) 533-1155
Washington, DC 20042-0560
THE
(800) 222-2294
SERVICE
WOMEN'S
(703) 931-4208 (FAX)
MEMORIAL
Foundation Honorary Chair
President
Campaign Honorary Chair
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wilma L. Vaught
Barbara P. Bush
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
January 24, 1995
The President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Women In Military For America
Memorial Foundation, Inc. (WIMSA), it is my privilege to officially invite you to
participate in our groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, June 22nd 1995. We would
be greatly honored if you would speak at this event in your capacity as Commander-
In-Chief of our armed forces.
Other invited speakers will include selected top ranking civilian and military
leaders and a very select number of women veterans from across the nation.
Preliminary planning calls for the ceremony to take place from 11:30 am to 1 pm at
the Memorial site, the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery.
Other scheduled events, at which we would welcome your participation, include
a "Reunion" reception for women veterans and women serving today on the evening of
June 21st, and a Gala dinner on the evening of June 22nd. All groundbreaking events
will be held here in Washington, D. C.
Your support of this project, starting with the donation from the State of
Arkansas while you were governor, has helped us tremendously in reaching this
important milestone.
We look forward to your participation in this important event and are grateful
for yours and Mrs. Clinton's continued commitment.
Sincerely,
Wslma Wilma L. LUanget L Vaught
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
President
scheduling 352700
to: PATTI
THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC.
web
Dept. 560
(703)533-1155
Washington, DC 20042-0560
MILITARY
THE
(800) 222-2294
SERVICE
AMERICA
WOMEN'S
(703)931-4208 (FAX)
MEMORIAL
MEMORIAL
Foundation Honorary Chair
President
Campaign Honorary Chair
Wilma L. Vaught
Barbara P. Bush
Fil June Hillary Rodham Clinton
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
November 17, 1994
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
to: Madge
Office of the First Lady
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
fr: re: henorary wendy
Dear Mrs. Clinton:
Tole: 11/22 chan
Thank you once again for the opportunity to present you with the official Women
In Military Service For America Memorial (WIMSA) commemorative silver dollar
during the Veterans Day observances at the White House.
I was very pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the status of our fundraising
efforts and our tentative plans for "Groundbreaking." Especially gratifying was your
gracious offer to play a role in assuring that we meet the goals necessary to break ground.
Please accept this letter as a confirmation of that discussion, and on behalf of the
Foundation, an official invitation requesting your participation, as our Honorary
Chair, in this important milestone occasion for the Memorial.
Tentatively scheduled to take place over two days, in June, 1995, key
groundbreaking activities will include:
- A "reunion" reception for women veterans and active duty servicewomen on the
evening of June 21st;
- The official groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the Memorial on June 22nd:
and
- A Gala dinner on the evening of June 22nd.
As the actual groundbreaking ceremony plans for June 22nd become finalized, we
will be contacting you and President Clinton with the hope that you would both play key
roles in this significant occasion in the military history of our nation. Invited
participants for this public event will include Administration officials; Congressional
leaders; the Joint Chiefs of Staff and top ranking military from each of the service
branches; women veterans and active duty servicewomen; and the many individuals and
organizations who support this project.
We are honored that you agreed to support the groundbreaking activities by
hosting, at the White House, an informal event (type to be determined) for a small group
-
of WIMSA's very special friends and benefactors, whose assistance and support has made
the Memorial possible.
We are certainly mindful of the constraints on your time, and the many competing
demands. We are confident. however, that with our degree of flexibility, a convenient
time and format can be arranged. With the groundbreaking events taking place over two
days, June 21-22, a White House breakfast, lunch, reception, or tea -- on either of those
days would work beautifully with the schedule of activities.
We were also delighted with your offer to host a similar event for potential
supporters of the Memorial. It would be most helpful to our efforts if this could take
place as early as possible in the first quarter of 1995.
You mentioned to Robyn that you wanted to meet with your staff to explore other
ways to be supportive of our efforts and goals. Please let me know if my staff and I can be
of any assistance in this process.
We'll contact your office in the next few days to follow-up, answer any questions or
provide additional information.
Again, my sincere appreciation and gratitude for your commitment to this
project. Your support for the Memorial has been so appreciated by military women and
veterans across the country. You honored all American military women by taking the
coin necklaces with you for special gift presentations on your recent trip.
We feel your participation in this next major step will ensure the success of this
project making the dream of a national memorial to recognize all servicewomen a
reality.
Sincerely,
With
Wilma L. Vaught
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
President
Proposed. Time: 1-2:30pm.
(They can start as
early as 12pm - .) -
-
THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, INC.
Dept. 560
(703) 533-1155
Washington, DC 20042-0560
THE
(800) 222-2294
WOMEN'S
(703) 931-4208 (FAX)
MEMORIAL
Foundation Honorary Chair
President
Campaign
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Wilma L. Vaught
Barbara
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
June
Time:
March 24, 1994
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
The White House
Washington. DC
Full June
Dear Mrs. Clinton:
The Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation (WIMSA)
would be honored if you would join us for a luncheon on June 14. 1994, Flag Day, to
thank Members of Congress for their ongoing support of this project. Good
Housekeeping Magazine will co-host the luncheon and is planning a write-up on
WIMSA for its July issue "Editor's Notebook" column. Good Housekeeping has asked if
you would consider providing a quote about your support of the Memorial for the
column.
Recent legislation, including the authorization of an upcoming July issue of a
commemorative coin honoring women in the military (only the fourth coin in our
nation's history to specifically honor women). has moved us closer to our fundraising
goals. Looking ahead to a successful sale of the coins and a positive outcome on other
projects, we anticipate being able to set a date for the groundbreaking for the
Memorial for early Spring, 1995. This event, at the Arlington National Cemetery site,
will be a major step toward realizing the dream of thousands upon thousands of
women veterans and servicewomen who have supported us since 1986. Many of these
women, veterans of World War I, World War II and Korea, have been praying and
working so that this event, and the dedication, would occur during their lifetime. The
announcement of our ground breaking plans, and the expression of appreciation to
Congressional members for their assistance in making this happen, will be the focus
of our Flag Day celebration.
We are in the process of developing a Congressional Host Committee for this
event, which will take place at noon in Room SC-5 of the U.S. Capitol. Senator
Murkowski has already agreed to serve on the Committee. Our program will include a
thank you to Members of Congress. announcement of our ground breaking plans, and
tributes to servicewomen who have been or are "ground breakers" in the military --
such as the women who are the first to train for combat jobs in the different branches
of the service as a result of the April 1993 decision to open such positions to women.
22
This event. which will be open to the press, is designated the "Ground Breaker's
Luncheon" in honor of the "ground-breaking" women who will be honored.
We sincerely hope that, as Honorary Chair of the Foundation, you can join us
for this celebration and expression of appreciation to the Congress.
Sincerely,
With Wilma L. LUangt
Brigadier General, USAF (Ret.)
President
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 5, 1994
Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught
President
Women In Military Service For America
Memorial Foundation, Inc.
Department 560
Washington, D.C. 20042-0560
Dear General Vaught:
Thank you for your kind letter inviting Mrs. Clinton
to attend a June luncheon.
Since it is difficult to know what the First Lady's upcoming
official schedule will be, I am unable to make a commitment for
her at this time. While it is unlikely Mrs. Clinton will be able
to accept your invitation, please be assured that we will keep it
in mind and contact you if we can accommodate your request.
Mrs. Clinton appreciates your thoughtfulness and sends her
best wishes.
Sincerely,
Battsfris
Patti Solis
Special Assistant to the President
Director of Scheduling
for the First Lady
COPY
from ORM
I
THE WASHINGTON WHITE HOUSE 6/20/95
Alisa,
FYI, here's drult of
POTLS remarks for Thursday,
not yet clecred by Tony Lake.
Anything me should say r.e.
the First Lady ?
Tony Blinken
6-9175
-
6/20/95 4 p.m.
PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE
MEMORIAL GROUNDBREAKING
ARLINGTON, VA
JUNE 22, 1995
[Acknowledgments:] General Mutter [TK: phon], thank you for your kind words of introduction.
And General Vaught, thank you for all that you have done to bring us to this day. To all of the
remarkable servicewomen who surround me on this podium; to this very distinguished audience;
and most of all, to the women of our armed forces -- past, present and future: I am delighted to
be with you to break ground for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.
Here, at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, the more than 1.8 million women who have
served or are serving in the military will finally have a permanent, visible place in America's
history. This memorial will chronicle two centuries of service too long undocumented, unlauded
and under-appreciated. It will record that women stood alongside men in every major conflict in
our nation's history. And it will remind us that they fell in defense of our freedom. More than
just a tribute to the past, this memorial will also stand as an inspiration to future generations -- a
shining legacy of dedication and valor.
Women were there as George Washington's troops fought for independence -- clothing and
feeding our troops and binding their wounds. They were there in the struggle to preserve the
2
Union -- as cooks and tailors, couriers and scouts, even spies and saboteurs. Some were so
determined to fight for what they believed in that they masqueraded as men and took up arms.
Women were there during the two World Wars. And slowly, a military establishment that for
decades had sought to keep women out of war brought them in to serve -- as WACS and
WAVES, SPARS and WASPS and Women Marines. In our nation's shipyards and factories, they
built democracy's arsenal. And from the beaches of Normandy to the islands of the Pacific, they
endured bombs and torpedoes, disease and deprivation to support our fighting forces in the field.
heated
viewed
Despite this history of bravery and accomplishment, women remained second class soldiers. They
could give their lives for liberty.. but they could not give orders to men. They could heal the
wounded and hold the dying.. but they could not aspire to the highest ranks. They could take on
the toughest assignments. but they could not take up arms in combat.
But still they volunteered -- fighting for freedom around the world, and also for the right to serve
to the fullest of their potential. And from conflict to conflict -- from Korea, to Vietnam to the
Persian Gulf War -- women slowly overcame the barriers to service.
As a result, the past few decades have witnessed a remarkable series of firsts. The first woman
service academy graduate the first female fighter pilot the first woman company
commander. the first female skipper. And, I'm proud to say, the first woman Secretary of the
Air Force, Sheila Widnall, who is with us today. Some other firsts are here on this podium.
3
Twenty-five years ago this month, Anna Mae McCabe Hays became the first woman promoted to
General. And Hazel Johnson-Brown was the first minority woman to reach that rank. I am
honored to stand with them today.
But just as important as the firsts are all those who have followed them. Now, women are test
pilots and drill sergeants, squadron commanders and rear admirals, academy instructors and
service recruiters. I'm proud that my administration has opened almost 260,000 new positions in
the military to women, including combat assignments. And I am determined that, as we continue
to make women full and equal partners with men in our nation's defense, we do so in a climate of
tolerance, teamwork and respect.
In the end, the story of women in America's military is made up of thousands of individual stories
-- and it is those stories that this memorial will tell. In their detail and drama, they help us
understand all that women have done to keep our country safe and free.
They are women like June Wandrey Mann, who volunteered for the Army Nurse Corps in World
War II. She served two and a half years overseas -- from primitive field hospitals in Tunisia and
Italy to a center for concentration camp survivors outside of Munich. In her courage and caring,
Lt. Wandrey represented the best of America.
They are women like Charity Adams Earley, the Women Army Corps' first African American
officer. Along with thousands of other African American veterans, both men and women, she
4
helped our nation act on a truth too long denied: that if people of different races could serve as
brothers and sisters abroad, surely they could live together as neighbors at home. And we should
salute the military's foresight and flexibility. In integrating minorities and women, our armed
forces not only mirrored change, they helped to produce it.
They are women like [TK TK: Haiti veteran]
And they are women like Barbara Allen Rainey. The mother of two daughters. The Navy's first
female aviator. And, tragically, the victim of a training crash. Her story reminds us that even in
peacetime, those who wear the uniform face danger every day. And now she rests just behind me,
in the quiet of these sacred grounds.
This memorial will tell their stories -- and hundreds of thousands more. And it will make a long
overdue downpayment on a debt that can never be fully repaid. It is the debt we owe to the
generations of American women in uniform who gave -- and who give -- so much to our country.
And it is the debt we will owe to future generations of women who will dedicate their lives to
defending our freedom. May this memorial say to each and every one of them: we cherish your
devotion we admire your courage. and we thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your
service.