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Politics & Government

Wilma Vaught, Women's Memorial Visionary to speak at Milwaukee VA

Wilma Vaught, the visionary behind the Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C., will visit the Milwaukee VA, 5000 W. National Ave., March 8.

She will speak from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Matousek Auditorium. The event is open to the public.

The Women’s Memorial located at the entrance of Arlington Cemetery is the only major national landmark of its kind to honor all servicewomen. It officially opened Oct. 18, 1997, after more than a decade of planning. But don’t give credit for the idea to Vaught.

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“Not me,” she said. “It was other people who had the idea. I’m the implementer.”

It started with no money, no space and a staff of two, and grew to what it is today. For that, you can credit Vaught.

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She was still serving as the commander of the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command and was chairing the NATO committee on women in the Armed Forces when Congress was planning a memorial. The Air Force asked her to speak to Congress, but it conflicted with her NATO duties and didn’t happen.

“That’s the first I heard about it, and I forgot about it,” she said. “I ended up retiring (from the Air Force) in 1985 and planned on my next job as a consultant. In November of 1986 I got a call and asked to join the board. I had no intention of becoming the president. I just felt that as a woman and a general officer, that this was something I ought to do for other women.”

“We need this to tell the story of women’s service to our country,” said Vaught. “It was being lost. We are recovering some of it. This has served as a vehicle, as a voice, in a very public and very prominent way, right at the gate of Arlington Cemetery. Kids who visit see these women who served. They can go into the register and look up their mother’s and other family members. It’s incredible.

“Needless to say, this is the greatest accomplishment of my life that we got that memorial done,” she added. “The reason we got it done is for the World War II women and others who set the path for me when I came into service. Knowing what they endured, and how they inspired us, means so much to me, and we do it for all those who have come since.”

For more information on the memorial, visit:

www.womensmemorial.org.

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