The Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation and Military Women’s Memorial research database currently contains 316,000 stories from the 3 million women who have defended the country since the Revolutionary War. It can be shared, updated, and searched for terms such as “Army,” “Vietnam,” or “American Legion.”
Phyllis J. Wilson, president of the foundation and memorial, spoke at the American Legion’s 105th National Convention in New Orleans on Aug. 28 about the database and efforts to expand it and renovate the memorial in Arlington, Virginia — the only major national memorial honoring those 3 million women. It opened in 1997 and has about 100,000 visitors annually but no federal funding. Wilson expressed her gratitude to the American Legion posts and American Legion Auxiliary Units that have donated money to them. Efforts are now focused on renovating the memorial, including adding more STEM elements to “encourage the American youth” to join the military or defense industry.
Another focus is expanding the database. Wilson, a trained nurse, served in the Army for 37 years as a military intelligence voice interceptor and retired as Chief Warrant Officer 5. “I always just wanted to be a soldier, not a soldier’s wife,” she said in a 2020 Fox News profile. She is a member of the USS Jacob Jones Post 2 in Washington, DC, was founded by Charlotte Winters, a World War I veteran who had been denied membership in other posts. Wilson called the database entries a “dynamic, living, breathing memory card.” And they can be created by an individual veteran or on their behalf – she told the story of one Legionnaire whose post created an entry for her after her death.
The foundation has set a goal of 500,000 stories for the database and is “actively” aiming for 500 new additions per year: “That’s absolutely doable,” Wilson said. She has traveled to states like South Carolina and Arkansas to work intensively on new entries and has come across many different stories – including that of Elizabeth Eckford, one of the “Little Rock Nine” who needed an escort to an Arkansas high school during the integration controversy in 1957 and later served for five years as a paymaster and information specialist in the Army.
The volunteer Army, which eliminated the traditional 2% female quota when it was founded, is now approaching 20%. 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of women being allowed to serve on warships. As their role in the military evolves, Wilson wants to make sure that’s reflected in the database of women serving – regardless of their MOS, life after service or position in the American Legion.
Click here to visit or add to the database.
