[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 185 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING NATIONAL WOMEN VETERANS UNITED

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, we celebrated Veterans Day last Monday. 
On the 11th day of the 11th month, we pause to honor the courage and 
sacrifice of our Nation's veterans. Millions of Americans have served 
in uniform over the years, many of whom return home with visible and 
invisible wounds alike, often to serve again in their communities.
  I had the privilege to meet with a group of such dedicated veterans 
recently at a meeting of the National Women Veterans United in Chicago. 
National Women Veterans United is the only center in Illinois dedicated 
to serving women servicemembers and veterans. Run by women and for 
women, I met with founder and president, the formidable Rochelle Crump. 
Rochelle served in the Army during the Vietnam era and has a long 
history of working with the VA at the Federal, State, and local levels. 
Rochelle and other members of her community in Chicago noticed that 
women veterans were falling through the cracks when it came to 
accessing the benefits they have earned, so they founded National Women 
Veterans United in 2005 to help fill the gap.
  The VA reports that there are approximately 2 million women veterans 
in America, reflecting 9 percent of the total veteran population. By 
2045, the share of female veterans is projected to double to 18 
percent. Women are among the fastest growing segments of the veteran 
population; yet many women veterans are either not aware of the 
benefits afforded to them or they are frustrated with the VA's 
inability to understand or address the unique needs of women veterans. 
For example, women veterans tend to be older. The top reported health 
issues they face are PTSD, TBI, hypertension, and cardiovascular 
disease, but many also require services related to unique health needs 
such as military sexual trauma and reproductive health.
  Now, the VA has made great strides over the years to provide for 
women veterans, but we must do more, especially when it comes to 
changing the culture at the VA that has often been a barrier to women 
seeking care at the VA. Groups like National Women Veterans United try 
to break down those barriers. They have helped hundreds of women 
veterans and their families, providing assistance in navigating the VA, 
holding healthcare screenings, and offering a host of personal and 
professional development opportunities and support groups. National 
Women Veterans United also supported entire families, such as the Gold 
Star Robinson-Wilson family. SGT Simone Robinson of Robbins, IL, was 21 
years old when she died of wounds sustained while serving in 
Afghanistan. At the time, she had a 2-year-old daughter. National Women 
Veterans United has helped care for the family after the sergeant's 
death. Earlier this year, they named their beautiful new center after 
her, now the SGT Simone A. Robinson Military Women Veteran's Center.
  I would like to recognize a few of the other great women I had the 
opportunity to meet during my visit with National Women Veterans 
United, including two Korean war veterans: Wille Merine Rouse and 
Miljan Akin--Rouse also served again in Iraq, as did her daughter 
Rene--Sharon Stokes-Parry, who served in Iraq with the Marine Corps; 
Diane Halle, a retired U.S, Army master sergeant who later worked at 
the Jesse Brown VA and with Team Rubicon on disaster relief around the 
world; Jeannie Adams, a Vietnam Air Force veteran who serves as their 
treasurer; Donna Cooper; Hazel Noble; Valorie Harris--the list goes on.
  I look forward to continuing to work with National Women Veterans 
United. These brave women stood guard for our freedom in uniform, and 
now, they continue to stand in support of their community--and 
specifically as African Americans, some of whom served during times of 
racial segregation, they faced challenges not only as women, but as 
Black women. Now, they help others who face challenges.
  May we use their inspiration--and the inspiration of all of our 
veterans--to find our own ways to sacrifice for the good of our Nation 
and our world.

                          ____________________