This Veteran’s Day, remember America’s military women, too
COMMENTARY
By Eugene Chu

Today is Nov. 11, Veterans Day in the United States. Amid the Veterans Day parades, TV programming and store promotions, America will honor its military veterans.

When we observe this solemn day, we should remember all of America’s veterans including one particular group: women veterans. In both past and present, women have served our great country in the tranquility of peace and the chaos of war.

While present day women veterans are receiving their due respect, women veterans of the past are sometimes overlooked. Along with honoring our military men who served, we should remember to honor our military women who also served.

While I personally disagree with co-ed basic training and women in direct combat arms, the criticism that I sometimes see wrongfully blames women instead of policy. While I personally have seen good and not-so-good women soldiers, the criticism I sometimes hear wrongfully blames women instead of the individual. I only want proper respect for the servicewomen that I once served beside, along with the servicemen.

According to womensmemorial.org, women have served America with honor and sacrifice in various wars during the past and present. Many women served as civilian nurses in the Revolutionary War and Civil War. They served with the women’s corps of various service branches during the World Wars, Korea and Vietnam. Women serve with the present day integrated military in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Throughout these wars, our servicewomen sometimes dealt with the risk of capture, torture and death. Although military history rightfully includes strategy, tactics and fighting servicemen, discussion about these heroines and other gallant servicewomen should be included more often.

America should rightfully honor heroes such as Sergeant York or Audie Murphy. Along with those heroes, America should also remember these heroines also.

Dr. Mary Walker, a civilian Civil War doctor, received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award. In World War II, more than 80 military nurses became prisoners of war while serving in Guam and the Philippines. Second Lt. Sharon Lane, an Army nurse serving in Vietnam, died from a direct result of hostile fire when a Soviet-made rocket hit her hospital ward. While women primarily held administrative or medical positions in the past, some served with great distinction, faced mortal danger or were killed in action.

America has many noble military veterans who served gallantly when the nation needed them. For this special occasion, for their noble service, we need to remember and honor them. These veterans, both past and present, include both men and women. Many of our military men have served and sacrificed for our country. Along with honoring the brotherhood of arms that served and sacrificed, however, let us not forget the sisterhood of arms that also served and sacrificed.

Eugene Chu is a senior political science major from Arlington.