Honoring Women Veterans during Women's History Month
On November 11, 2024, the New York State Women Veterans History Trail was unveiled, recognizing 10 extraordinary women whose service, leadership, and sacrifice helped shape our nation. Women are the fastest-growing demographic of veterans, yet their contributions have often gone unrecognized. This trail is a long-overdue tribute to their place in military history.
The Trail’s Inaugural Honorees:
- Dr. Mary Edwards Walker – The first and only woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, Dr. Walker was a Civil War surgeon, prisoner of war, and advocate for women’s rights.
- Col. Eileen Collins – The first woman to command a Space Shuttle mission, logging over 6,751 hours in space and paving the way for women in aerospace.
- Admiral Grace Hopper – A pioneering computer scientist and Navy rear admiral whose work revolutionized modern programming and technology.
- Margaret Corbin – A Revolutionary War hero who took over her husband’s cannon at the Battle of Fort Washington and fought until she was severely wounded.
- Dr. Olivia J. Hooker – The first Black woman to serve on active duty in the United States Coast Guard, a civil rights advocate, and a survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
- Harriet Tubman – Best known for the Underground Railroad, Tubman was also the first woman to lead an armed military operation in the U.S. Civil War.
- Clara Barton – The “Angel of the Battlefield” who founded the American Red Cross, providing medical aid during the Civil War and beyond.
- Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody – The first woman in U.S. military history to achieve the rank of four-star general, breaking barriers in military leadership.
- Capt. Elsie S. Ott – A World War II nurse and the first woman to receive the U.S. Air Medal for pioneering advancements in aeromedical evacuation.
- Sr. Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent – A trailblazer in Naval Special Warfare and intelligence operations, making history before she was killed in action in Syria.
- The United States Military Academy Class of 1980 (West Point) – The first class to admit women, changing the landscape of military leadership forever.
Women have served with courage and distinction in every era of our nation’s history. Their leadership and sacrifices deserve full recognition. Read more here.