In 2013, Marine Pfc. Christina Fuentes Montenegro became one of the first women to serve in an infantry role in the U.S. Military. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps)
On June 23, 2015, California officially designated June 12 as Women Veterans Day to honor the sacrifices of Women Veterans and acknowledge the growing number of women serving in the U.S. Military.
Women Have Served in Every U.S. War
The role of women in U.S. conflicts is long-standing. In every war going back to the American Revolution, women have served as nurses, spies, and in support roles. Meanwhile, the roles available to women are ever expanding.
Each conflict increased the number of military jobs open to women, but none opened the doors so widely as World War II. Over 350,000 — 10 times the number that served during World War I — women served in the Women’s Army Corps, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, the SPARs, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, and the Army and Navy Nurse Corps.
Continuing Service After World War II
In the years following World War II, women continued to serve in the U.S. Military, albeit from a problematic perspective in regards to the law. Recognizing the vast contributions of women during the war, Congress slowly moved to enact a permanent change with mixed public support.
Roughly three years after the end of World War II, President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, effectively allowing women to permanently serve in non-combat roles in the military. Throughout the remainder of the 20th century, women continued to serve, and today, women are the fastest growing demographic in the armed forces.
2013: Combat Roles Are Opened to Women
In 2013, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ended the ban on women serving in combat roles. Since then, various special forces groups have recruited Women Service Members to join their ranks while the Department of Defense mulls further expansions.
Currently, Women’s Veterans Day is not federally recognized.
Click here to learn about more U.S. Military and Veterans holidays.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.