Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin kicked off Virginia Women Veterans Week last week with a special ceremony at the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington.
Many government and military officials were present, including Craig Crenshaw, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs; Daniel Gade, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services; Kathleen Murphy; Virginia House of Delegates and Phyllis Wilson, President of the Military Women’s Memorial.
At the ceremony, held on March 20, the government and military officials gathered at the Memorial to honor and recognize women military veterans from throughout the Commonwealth and present them with “Virginia Women Veterans Lead the Way” labeled pins.
The Military Women’s Memorial is America’s only major national memorial to honor and tell the story of the 3 million women who have served in the nation’s defense, beginning with the American Revolution.
Located at the main gate to Arlington National Cemetery, the Memorial and its 33,000 sq. ft. education center tell the collective story of military women’s service with exhibits, never-before-seen artifacts, period uniforms, rare photographs and video.
March 19-25 was officially Virginia Women Veterans Week and is the sixth consecutive year the Commonwealth has honored and recognized the more than 107,000 women veterans that call Virginia home and all women who have served Virginia and the nation from the Revolutionary War to today.
“As a proud Marine veteran myself, it is a privilege to be here to recognize the sacrifices and accomplishments of my sister Virginia veterans today,” said Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears at the ceremony. “Each of you knew the risks of enlisting in the armed forces where you might even be called upon to give up your own life, yet you bravely decided to serve your nation. Today, we salute you and say thank you.”
The Virginia Women Veterans Week is part of Virginia’s month-long celebration of March as Women’s History Month. Virginia is home to the largest percentage of women veterans per population of any state, according to the Virginia Department of Veteran Services.
The Virginia Department of Veteran Services is a state government agency with more than 40 locations across the state.
“Virginia’s women veterans have not only served proudly in uniform but continue to serve our Commonwealth as civilians in business, education, medicine, government, in raising families and more,” said Virginia’s First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin. “They play a vital role in making sure Virginia is the best state for all to live, work and thrive. It is my honor to be part of this ceremony highlighting their contributions to the Commonwealth and this great nation.”
“We are pleased to host today’s event on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia here at the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington,” said Phyllis J. Wilson, president of the Memorial “The Memorial is a tribute to America’s Servicewomen, past and present. One of our most important missions is to collect, preserve and share the stories of these servicewomen. We encourage every woman who has or is serving today to take her rightful and visible place in history by registering her service with the Memorial.”