[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 74 (Friday, June 7, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E994-E995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE WOMEN VETERANS OF AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GEORGE W. GEKAS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 6, 2002

  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
express my deepest

[[Page E995]]

gratitude to the millions of women who have donned the uniform of our 
armed forces and served proudly in the every military conflict in which 
this Nation has engaged. On Saturday, May 18, I spent some time with a 
group of ladies of whom we should all be extremely proud. I was honored 
to take part in the Harrisburg Armed Services Day celebration of Women 
Veterans organized by City Councilwoman Patricia L. Stringer and local 
veteran Barbara Lewis. I could not commend the women veterans attending 
that gathering enough then and cannot do so now. Nevertheless, it is 
only fitting that we should attempt to honor those who have sacrificed 
so much for our benefit.
  The roughly 2 million women who have served with the military have 
served in every conflict since the American Revolution. Over 55,000 of 
these veterans have come from my home, the great Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania. All have left a legacy of service, duty and patriotism. 
We would do well to remember their devotion to country, and to imitate 
their heroic sense of responsibility, especially as we find ourselves 
confronted with new enemies and a new war.
  On Saturday, May 18, I spoke with veterans such as Sandra Mosten and 
Betty Curtis, a former WAC corporal, who served in the Army at a time 
coincident with my service in the early 1950s. Sandra and Betty served 
our country proudly, and perhaps without realizing it, have blazed a 
path for women who have come after them. Indeed, 90,000 women serve in 
the U.S. Armed Forces today, and all have been strengthened in their 
commitment to the military by the examples of the strong women who have 
gone before them--veterans like Sandra Mosten and Betty Curtis.
  Mr. Speaker, the history of women in uniform moves me each time I 
recount their great accomplishments. The Army Nurses Corps, founded in 
1901, served as the vanguard unit for official participation of 
uniformed women within the military. The Navy and Marine Corps soon 
followed suit and enlisted women into a variety of roles during World 
War I. By World War II, 400,000 women served in noncombatant military 
positions. Many of us will remember the Women's Army Corps organized by 
Oveta Culp Hobby, the first lady of Texas and, later, the first 
Secretary of Housing and Education. The WACs, as they were fondly 
dubbed, were joined by the Navy's WAVES, the Coast Guard's SPARS and 
Air Corp's WASPs. Their jobs may have been labeled noncombatant, the 
risk was often just as great as those faced by men in the front lines. 
For example, 87 military nurses fell into enemy hands as POWs during 
the war.
  I personally remember the WACs and WASPs of Central Pennsylvania who 
instilled in the youth of the community a renewed sense of duty--a 
sensibility I carried with me, into my adulthood and which propelled me 
forward during my time in the Army during the Korean War. In fact, the 
years just prior to my enlistment were critical to the future of women 
in the military. In 1948, President Truman signed into law the Women's 
Armed Services Integration Act of 1948. The Act granted women permanent 
status in the Regular and Reserve forces of the Army, Navy, Marine 
Corps, and newly created Air Force. Over 500 women then served in the 
combat zones of Korea. When America entered that long conflict in 
Vietnam, women again were an integral part of military operations. 
Nearly 7,500 women served their country honorably during that conflict. 
Following their example, President Ford signed into law an Act 
admitting women into the service academies of the various military 
services. The WAC formally dissolved a few years later, marking in many 
ways the full integration of women into the military, free of 
segregated units. We only need to view the heroic exploits of women in 
Desert Storm and Afghanistan to see how far women have come in the 
military. I need look no further than the confines of my Congressional 
District.
  I am reminded of the new traditions of women's military service that 
are being created each and every day when I look at the Headquarters of 
our Pennsylvania National Guard, located at Fort Indiantown Gap near 
Annville, Pennsylvania. There, the first woman to attain the rank of 
General in the Pennsylvania Guard commands the Army Guard with devotion 
and professionalism. I had the great honor of noting Deputy Adjutant 
General Jessica Wright's promotion to Brigadier General in this body 
last Congress. Let me also note the tremendous accomplishment of a 
young soldier I met just a few months ago, Krista Griffith of Hershey, 
Pennsylvania. Krista has recently become the first woman to attain the 
rank of Sergeant Major in the Pennsylvania Guard. Old enlisted veterans 
like myself will note that Sergeant Major is one of the non 
commissioned officers (NCO) in the Army. Sergeant Major Griffith, an 
intelligence specialist, will soon serve 6 months in Bosnia as part of 
the SFOR operations the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania 
Guard will soon undertake.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to know General Wright, Sergeant Major 
Griffith, Sandra Mosten, Betty Curtis, Barbara Lewis and so many other 
women veterans from Central Pennsylvania. We as a country should be 
honored to remember the 2 million women veterans who have served this 
country and the thousands who serve in uniform today during this time 
of war. We will never forget their sacrifices or their commitment to 
service. I thank them all on behalf of the people of my district. I 
know my colleagues will join me in thanking them on behalf of a 
grateful Nation.

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