Today, 20 states across the country — not Georgia — will commemorate Women Veterans Recognition Day. This isn’t a separate version of Veterans Day. It was set aside specifically to mark an important moment in American military history — the June 12, 1948 signing of the Women’s Armed Forces Integration Act by President Harry Truman. For the first time, women could serve as permanent members of the regular armed forces. It was a bold move at the time, but long overdue.
The Act wasn’t perfect. It capped women at 2% of the total force, prevented them from serving as war fighters, and denied them access to senior ranks. Plus, they could be discharged if they were parents or became pregnant.
And yet, throughout our nation’s history — long before the Act was signed — women have served with honor. From the Revolutionary War, when 20,000 women served, through World War II, when more than 350,000 women served, including the pioneering Women Airforce Service Pilots, and the 6888th Battalion — the famous “Six-Triple-Eight,” the first and only all-Black, all-female unit in the Women’s Army Corps deployed overseas, women who cleared millions of pieces of backlogged mail in record time for American troops in Europe.
Before 1948, however, most women were dismissed after each conflict. The Integration Act changed that, finally recognizing women as essential to the military. The Act also paved the way for improved racial integration, expanding opportunities for women of color in uniform. Today, women serve in every military role and there are about two million women veterans living in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and abroad.
Women Veterans Recognition Day isn’t a national holiday yet. If you’re inclined, you can contact the Georgia Department of Veterans Service or the governor’s office and ask them, “why not Georgia?” In the meantime, here in White County we celebrate the women who served, sacrificed, and stand ready. We see you, honor you, and thank you.