Thirteen female veterans with a combined 117 years of military service, including two Purple Heart recipients, are featured in the 2025 Pin-Ups for Vets calendar.
The calendar serves as a way to tell the individual stories of female veterans while raising money that allows the nonprofit to carry out its initiatives, including purchasing brand new “wish list” rehabilitation equipment for veterans hospitals; shipping care packages to deployed troops around the globe; its morale-boosting 50-state Veterans Hospital and State Veterans Home Tour and purchasing household items to help recently homeless veterans get back on their feet.
Pin-Ups for Vets began in 2006 when there were numerous news stories about troops returning from Iraq who needed better medical care, founder Gina Elise said.
“I felt strongly that I wanted to do something positive to help out,” explained Elise. “I decided to raise money that could be donated to a local VA Hospital, to help purchase brand-new rehabilitation equipment to help expand healthcare programs.”
Elise created the first Pin-Ups For Vets fundraiser calendar in 2006 for the upcoming year of 2007.
“Back then, it was only myself as the model in the calendar, wearing different colored wigs to look like different women,” she said. “I began a `50-State VA Hospital Tour’ to present the calendars as gifts of appreciation to our veteran patients.
During WWII, pin-ups were painted on the noses of aircraft as a way to boost the morale of the troops, Elise noted.
“I was inspired to use the same concept to provide support for today’s veterans,” she said.
As time went on, female veterans noticed what Elise was doing, and started reaching out, asking if they could accompany her on VA Hospital visits.
“When I saw the bond between the female veteran volunteers and the veteran patients, I knew it was something special. There was that instant veteran-to-veteran connection,” she said.”The more female veterans I met, the more I realized that I wanted to start featuring them in the calendar. And now, the months of our calendars all feature only photos of female veterans.”
Today, the nonprofit is known for its visits to veteran patients in hospitals where the calendars are delivered as gifts of appreciation.
“We have personally visited with over 20,000 veterans in 49 states,” said Elise. “Only one state left to go - Alaska. “And we are getting close to starting our 20th year of supporting the veteran and military community.”
Pin-Ups For Vets Ambassadors Army veterans Monica, Olivia and Shaylen, Navy veteran Allie and Air Force veteran Miracle visited the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC on Halloween, where they delivered the new 2025 Pin-Ups For Vets calendars as gifts and spent time with their fellow veterans.
“Listening to their stories, sharing our collective love of service, and honoring their contributions was both humbling and inspiring,” said Oliva, whose involvement with Pin-Up for Vets began earlier this year when she participated in a photo shoot for the 2025 calendar, where she is featured as Ms. June.
“For me, being an ambassador for Pin-Up for Vets is heart-warming,” she said. “To be able to give back to the veteran community in a nostalgic way and honoring our service members while spreading cheer is truly a great way for me to connect and recharge. My heart is with the veteran community. I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue saying it. This opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful cause reinforces my commitment to our veterans and their
invaluable service.”
Miracle, Miss September in the calendar, said the D.C. visit was her first veteran’s home visit.
“The men and women were happy just having us visit, but the look of excitement when they realized we were also vets was the best,” she said. “They opened up to us about the bases they served at and the jobs they had, hoping to find some similarity with us. And, of course, they loved teasing us with the branch rivalries. It was such an honor to spend time with them.”
Monica said the experience touched her soul in a way that is hard to put into words.
“Visiting with the men and women who have given so much to our country was an immense privilege,” she said “Each handshake and shared story was a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made and the strength carried through years of service — one that transcends generations and unites us in our shared love for our country and our community of brothers and sisters in arms.
"These visits aren’t just moments; they are legacies — bridges between our past and our present, reminding us to honor, remember, and learn from those who have come before. Being able to show up, give back, and simply be present is a gift that I cherish.”
Shalyen called the visit a great time.
“Being a part of Pin Ups for Vets is all about bringing smiles to the veterans’ faces. It’s always great to see their faces when we tell them that we are veterans also,” she said.
To prepare for the photo shoot, the women were turned into 1940s vintage-style pin-up bombshells, complete with liberty roll hairdos and 1940s fashions, Elise said.
“A number of the ladies cry when they see themselves transformed,” she said. “Many of them have never dressed up in this way or modeled before. It’s a fun experience for them.”
To learn more visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.