As we pause to honor our veterans during the month of May, I am reminded of the many women veterans who have played large roles in the history of our armed forces.

Although I have had several men in my family who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, there has never been a female in my family who has been in the armed forces, so I sometimes forget to acknowledge the bravery of those women who have honorably served our country.

I decided to do some research to find out just who some of those brave women were.

Perhaps because M*A*S*H was one of my favorite TV shows, I immediately think of women serving as nurses when, in fact, many served as high ranking officers, ranging from the Civil War to the present. They cover all the services, breaking barriers, making a difference and becoming role models for future generations.

Among the first I discovered was a woman we all know because of her show business career. Best known for her role in Golden Girls, Bea Arthur was also a truck driver in the Marine Corps. She was one of the first members of the Women’s Reserve. She enlisted in 1943 under her original name, Bernice Frankel, and was often described as being overaggressive but a good worker. She was honorably discharged in 1945 and immediately enrolled in drama school in New York.

Ann E. Dunwoody was the first woman to serve as a four-star general in both the Army and U.S. armed forces. General Dunwoody joined the Army in 1974. The biggest impact she made was as commander of the Army Materiel Command (AMC) where she unified global logistics functions to maximize the efficiency and services for all facets of distribution.

Because of her influence, thousands of women have been decorated for valor. One hundred fourty-six have given their lives. What once was a band of brothers has become a band of brothers and sisters because of her service.

Known as “Amazing Grace,” Commodore Grace Murray Hopper’s influence in U.S. naval history is apparent everywhere. She was honored to have a naval destroyer and the Cray XE6 “Hopper” supercomputer named in her honor. She founded the COBOL programming language which is a precursor to many software code approaches used today. Her work is legendary among computer scientists and mathematicians. At the age of 76 she was promoted to Commodore by special presidential appointment. Her rank was then elevated to rear admiral, making her one of the few women admirals in the history of the U.S. Navy.

As we pause to honor our veterans, please join me in giving our heartfelt gratitude to the outstanding men and women who have served our country by doing their jobs with dignity, honor and valor. If you know a veteran, give them a hug and a huge thank you for what they have done and continue to do to keep our country safe for all. My cousin came out of retirement and re-enlisted to serve so his son wouldn’t have to serve in Vietnam. James Palmer was serving aboard ship when it was attacked and he was mortally wounded and was buried at sea. James was a favorite cousin of mine. He gave me his class ring before he shipped out to Korea. I made sure his son received it after his dad wasn’t coming home.

“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” — Maya Angelou

Email Betty Heath at begeheath690@aol.com.