Women Veterans Day 2024
In honor of Women Veterans Day, the Texas Veterans Land Board salutes all Women Veterans and all those still in service. We are proud to recognize the nearly 178,000 female Veterans in Texas and are grateful for the dedication and commitment that they have shown to this country. This is a day that acknowledges their involvement as women in the military and gives us an opportunity to show our female Veterans respect for their bravery and patriotism.
In 2017, Texas State Representative Victoria Neave filed House Bill 2698 which would designate June 12th as Women Veterans Day. The bill was later signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott who remarked that, “Here in our great State of Texas, we have the highest number of women veterans of any state in the country — over 177,000 women veterans live and work in our communities. Women veterans sacrificed for us, and I was honored to be able to pass this legislation with the help of women veterans who traveled across the state to testify in support of the legislation so that we can honor their contributions and sacrifices.”
On June 12, 2018, the first-ever Women Veterans Day was officially celebrated. This marked the 70th anniversary of the transformative Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. The law made it possible for women to permanently serve and be recognized as regular members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.
Even before being formally recognized as U.S. service members, women have played crucial roles in the military. Texas has a rich history of women who have made significant contributions as leaders and war heroes. Oveta Culp Hobby is a prime example of a someone who left her mark as a trailblazer for women veterans.
Born 1905 in Killeen, Texas, Hobby served as the director of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. Being a part of the WAC, Hobby was one of the first women to wear a U.S. military uniform for a role besides that of nurse. While director, Hobby helped to expand women’s involvement in the military and their contribution to the war effort. Following World War II, Hobby was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Service Medal award.
Women like Oveta Culp Hobby and others represent the reasons we celebrate Women Veterans Day. We are immensely grateful for the sacrifice that so many women have made for the protection and freedom of this country.
To learn more about Women Veterans Day, please visit: https://veteran.com/women-veterans-day/
To learn more about Oveta’s story, please visit: Oveta Culp Hobby | National Women’s History Museum (womenshistory.org)
