The National Museum of the United States Army will mark its first Women’s History Month open to the public with special events exploring the lesser-known role of women in the American Revolution, the heroism of Clara Barton—the Civil War “Angel on the Battlefield,” and the service of the “Hello Girls” of World War I.
Visitors will also be encouraged to trace the rich legacy of women serving in the U.S. Army by exploring their stories highlighted throughout the museum.
Among the women represented in the museum’s galleries is 2nd Lt. Emily Perez, a 2001 graduate of Maryland’s Oxon Hill High School. Perez’s desert warfare jacket, cap and dog tags help tell the story of her service in the Medical Service Corps and the attack in Iraq that led to her becoming the first African American female Army officer to be killed in combat.
As a soldier, Perez followed in the footsteps of other women highlighted in the museum, including: Cordelia Dupuis, who was 22 years when she joined the bilingual women recruited to operate the Army’s telephone switchboards during World War I; Col. Mary Louise Rasmuson, who entered the Army during World War II and was appointed Commandant of the Women’s Army Corps by both President Dwight D. Eisenhower and President John F. Kennedy; and Pfc. Sarah Keys, a Black soldier who boarded an interstate bus while wearing her U.S. Army uniform in 1952 and was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man.
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Events include:
“Compelled to Face Danger: Clara Barton and the Civil War” with Dr. John Maass
March 1, 7 – 8 p.m. (virtual)
March 8, 12 – 1 p.m. (onsite and virtual)
“Our Girls Over There: The Hello Girls of World War I”
March 9, 16 and 23, 10 – 10:45 a.m. (virtual)
Book Talk: “Liberty is Sweet: The Hidden History of The American Revolution” by Woody Holton, a reassessment of the American Revolution and how the Founders were influenced by overlooked Americans, including women.
March 17, 7 – 8 p.m. (virtual)
To visit the museum, located just outside Fort Belvoir, Va., or attend on-site events, free timed-entry tickets are required and can be reserved online here. To attend an event virtually, registration is required through the museum’s event website.
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Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.