The newly unveiled “Women of Valor: 250 Years of Women Serving Our Nation” exhibit at the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington, Va. on June 12, 2026. (Emely Miranda-Aguilar/Stars and Stripes)
ARLINGTON, Va. — Seventy-eight years after women gained a permanent place in the armed forces, veterans, military leaders and supporters gathered Friday at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to honor their contributions to the nation.
The celebration of Women Veterans Day commemorated the 78th anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act and the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday, recognizing the role women played in building and preserving the nation for two centuries.
“It’s important to shine a spotlight and remind America that it’s not just our men that have fought and died for this country from the beginning. Women have done it as well,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phyllis Wilson, president of the Military Women’s Memorial. “What we say is ‘Patriotism knows no gender.’ ”
The memorial unveiled its newest exhibit “Women of Valor: 250 Years of Women Serving Our Nation,” a 50- to 60-foot display that traces women’s history from the American Revolution. The exhibit presents individual stories while emphasizing their collective impact on future generations.
The podium for the Women Veterans Day 78th anniversary event at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on June 12, 2026. (Emely Miranda-Aguilar/Stars and Stripes)
“This is a great opportunity to reflect and to learn American history, maybe from a different vantage point than you’ve ever heard it before, but it doesn’t change that American history. It just tells it a little bit differently,” Wilson said.
The event included guest speakers to highlight the anniversary of the 1948 Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, including Kate Anderson Brower, co-author of “We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America,” which tells the story of 35 women throughout U.S. military history; Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations; and Lt. Col. Steve Kim, who recognized Congresswoman Margaret Chase Smith of Maine for crafting and introducing the legislation to the 80th U.S. Congress.
Before the act, women (with the exception of nurses) could serve only in times of crisis; but on June 12, 1948, the landmark legislation passed in a 206–133 vote, formally recognizing women as part of the U.S. military and opening the door to long-term careers in uniform. Though it is not a recognized federal holiday, June 12 has become widely celebrated as Women Veterans Day.
The front wall at the Military Women’s Memorial in honor of women’s 251 years of military service. (Emely Miranda-Aguilar/Stars and Stripes)
“It takes all of us to defend a nation. It’s not men or women, it’s men and women. It takes every single one of us everywhere to preserve our democracy and our freedoms,” said retired Maj. Gen. Jan Edmunds, the board chair.
Wilson hopes that after viewing the exhibit, learning about the act and listening to the speakers, people will walk away feeling proud to be American. Staff Sgt. Elexus Mallozzi echoed these sentiments, acknowledging that she is standing on the shoulders of the women who paved the way for her journey in the U.S. Air Force and thanking them for their service.
“We are flying combat aircraft, commanding vessels, leading on the ground,” Mallozzi said. “To the veterans who preceded us and to the young folks watching, our work is not done. We must continue to reach higher. We must continue to shatter new ceilings.”
Through its database, the Military Women’s Memorial seeks to inspire future generations by making those stories visible and accessible to the public.
The Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery on June 12, 2026. (Emely Miranda-Aguilar/Stars and Stripes)
“Every time I come in here, and I see what the team has done to celebrate the service of our military women, I’m inspired to continue, to push on, to collect more stories, to tell more stories and to ensure that the public understands that the word veteran means a man and a woman. It’s not one or the other,” Edmunds said.
As the country approaches its 250th anniversary and the Army’s 251st, the celebration marked a historical milestone and a reminder that women’s service has been, and continues to be, an integral part of the nation’s defense.
“We were serving way before (the act passed). We were serving before there was a country,” said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Sharon Bannister, who sits on the Memorial’s Board of Directors. “It’s exciting to see that recognition of our stories, and I think that us doing it before the Fourth of July is just that much more meaningful.”
