In conjunction with the Village of Flossmoor’s Centennial, Flossmoor Veterans’ Memorial Inc. (FVM) is seeking 100 donations of $19.48 to celebrate Women Veterans Recognition Day.
Women Veterans Recognition Day, celebrated yearly on June 12, commemorates the signing of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act on June 12, 1948. The Act allowed women to serve in the United States military on a full-time basis both in peacetime and during conflict, regardless of military occupational specialty.
Coupled with President Truman’s Executive Order in 1948 to desegregate the United States military, the act also applied to Black women.
Throughout history, women have served in America’s armed forces in various capacities, from the Revolutionary War to present day. According to USO.org, more than 300,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, more than 9,000 have earned Combat Action Badges, and today, women make up approximately 16% of the United States military.
According to FVM’s efforts to collect names of Flossmoor military veterans, 60 women out of 950 identified veterans have lived or are currently living in Flossmoor.
There were nine women’s names listed on Flossmoor’s World War II Honor Roll in 1945, according to Kristine Condon, author of “Fragments of Flossmoor: A Series of Essays on the Interesting, Curious, and Unique in Our Village.”
Donations for the $19.48 Campaign can be made on FVM’s website (https://flossmoorvets.square.site) and on Facebook (@honoringflossmoorvets). “Fragments of Flossmoor” is also available there.
FVM also encourages community members to share photos of women veterans on FVM’s social media pages during the $19.48 Campaign and/or tag FVM in their own social media posts.
FVM’s fundraising efforts will support the Veterans’ Wall of Honor, which will be built on a 9,500 square-foot parcel located north of Flossmoor Road and east of the Metra/CN tracks.
For more information, visit @honoringflossmoorvets on Facebook/Instagram, @FlossmoorVWH on X/Twitter, https://flossmoorvets.square.site on the Web, or [email protected] via e-mail.