[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 144 (Thursday, October 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE DEDICATION OF THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE MEMORIAL 
              AND THE BRAVERY OF AMERICA'S WOMEN VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 22, 1997

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure both as a Member of 
Congress and a proud American citizen to recognize the outstanding and 
courageous contributions of our women veterans. Since the birth of our 
Republic, through the darkest days of our most painful wars, brave 
women have selflessly displayed their patriotism by risking their lives 
in the name of our national security. In honor of these pioneers and 
the almost 2 million American servicewomen who came before them, the 
Women in Military Service Memorial at the Arlington National Cemetery 
was dedicated on Saturday, October 18, 1997.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to retired Air Force Brig. 
Gen. Wilma Vaught, who directed this historic project for over a 
decade, to my former colleague, Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar, whose 
1985 bill to create this memorial I was proud to cosponsor, and to all 
the women and men who worked tirelessly to recognize the innumerable 
achievements of these brave Americans.
  During the early days of our country, in an era when few doors opened 
even for the ablest and most talented American women, they served as 
nurses and cooks and in any capacity where the causes of desperate men 
were so threatened as to override the gender barriers of the day. 
During the next two centuries, as women were slowly granted their due 
rights as American citizens, their roles in our Armed Forces have 
expanded as well. In the last 5 years, under the leadership of 
President Clinton and Vice President Gore, women have come still closer 
to the goal of equality in military opportunity. This administration 
has presided over the first woman to head one of our service branches, 
Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall; the first women to serve at 
3-star rank; the first woman to command a flying wing; the first woman 
to command a naval base; and the first women to serve aboard an 
aircraft carrier. In the words of Vice President Gore: ``Today, women 
are a vital element of virtually every aspect of our mission . . . 
around the world 24 hours a day; at sea, on the ground, in the air, and 
even in space.'' Mr. Speaker, it is high time that we paid these 
courageous women the respect and honor that they deserve.
  The Women in Military Service Memorial fulfills this overdue purpose. 
This monument, which includes a reflecting pool, an exhibit hall, a 
theater, and a computerized registry of servicewomen, now serves as a 
magnificent tribute to our female veterans who, in many instances, 
fought multiple enemies: the paramount foe in war, and the less 
conspicuous but omnipresent nemesis of gender discrimination. As 
President Clinton stated in a videotaped message at Saturday's 
ceremony: ``The . . . memorial is a living reminder that we are all 
involved, men and women, when it comes to protecting America's security 
. . . This knowledge was sometimes slow in coming. For much of our 
history many Americans felt that a woman's place should be closer to 
the homefront than the frontlines. Still our women volunteered, 
struggling for freedom all around the world.''
  Captain Catherine Kocourek Genovese, a retired Marine Corps officer 
who now lives in my home of San Mateo County, CA, is typical of the 
competent and dedicated women who are honored at this new memorial. She 
joined the military at the height of the Vietnam war. After enduring 
the demanding physical training required of all Marines, both male and 
female, she faced challenges which tested her mental fortitude as well 
as her perseverance in the face of gender discrimination. The 
Washington Post reported on Captain Genovese's experiences in its 
October 18, 1997 edition:

       As a young commanding officer at a base in Twentynine 
     Palms, Calif., Genovese said, she quickly came up against a 
     group of male recruits who refused to salute her. After a 
     quick lesson in Marine etiquette, she said, it never happened 
     again.
       ``These guys were tough,'' Genovese said. ``It wasn't easy 
     to confront a group like that. But after that, even if they 
     were half a block away, they'd salute and say, `Good morning, 
     ma'am.' ''

  Captain Genovese refused to allow sexism to interfere with her desire 
and ability to serve her country. At 22, she became the first female 
Marine to pass a pistol marksmanship test and earn the second-highest 
ranking as a sharpshooter. She later became the first women assigned to 
a weapons training battalion. Mr. Speaker, we all owe Captain Genovese 
and all of her fellow trailblazers an immense debt of gratitude.
  As President Clinton declared at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 
Women in Military Service Memorial in 1995, ``For far too long women 
were treated as second class soldiers. They could give their lives for 
liberty, but they couldn't give orders to men. They could heal the 
wounded and hold the dying, but they could not dream of holding the 
highest ranks.'' This new monument serves as a constant remainder to 
all that women have given to their country and to all they have 
achieved in surmounting the barriers to their full service in the armed 
forces.

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