Dear Members and Friends,
As we welcome summer and prepare to celebrate Independence Day, I find myself reflecting on all we have accomplished together during the first half of this remarkable year.
Across the country, America is beginning a once-in-a-generation commemoration of our Nation’s 250th anniversary. At the Military Women’s Memorial, we are honored to help lead that celebration by ensuring an essential truth is never forgotten:
She was there.
For 251 years, before there was even a United States of America, women have answered the call to serve. They served in the fight for independence. They served in every conflict that followed. They have defended freedom in times of war and peace, often overcoming extraordinary obstacles while making invaluable contributions to our Nation. Their courage, sacrifice, leadership, and patriotism helped shape the America we celebrate today.
It is our privilege and our responsibility to preserve these stories and ensure future generations know that women have always been part of our Nation’s history.
The first six months of 2026 have been filled with meaningful milestones. We commemorated the 50th anniversary of women entering our Service Academies, celebrated the 251st birthdays of some of our military branches, welcomed Honor Flights and veterans from across the country, launched new educational programs and public tours, expanded our oral history initiatives, honored remarkable women through our Living Legend Program, and continued growing the National Register, the largest repository dedicated to preserving the stories of women who have served our Nation through our National Registration Campaign, Strive for 500, and Adopt A Woman Veteran Project.
One of the year’s most memorable moments came on June 12 as we celebrated Women Veterans Recognition Day with the unveiling of our newest exhibit, Women of Valor: 250 Years of Women’s Service to Our Nation. Together with veterans, military leaders, partners, supporters, and friends, we officially launched the Military Women’s Memorial’s America 250 initiative, a multi-year celebration honoring the extraordinary legacy of women’s service from 1775 through today.
This new exhibit is only the beginning.
Throughout the coming months and into America’s 250th year, visitors will experience new exhibits, educational programming, new oral histories, special events, and opportunities to honor the women whose service has too often gone untold. Together, we are ensuring that every visitor who walks through our doors leaves with a fuller understanding of our Nation’s history, one that includes the generations of women who have defended our freedoms since the very beginning.
None of this would be possible without you.
Whether you have served in uniform, registered your story in the National Register, volunteered your time, supported our mission through philanthropy, attended an event, or simply shared our message with others, you are helping preserve an irreplaceable legacy. Thank you for believing in this mission and for standing with us as we continue to honor every woman who has served.
Most importantly, to every woman who has worn the uniform, and to all who have served our Nation, we offer our deepest gratitude. Thank you for your service, your sacrifices, and your unwavering commitment to protecting the freedoms we cherish.
As we celebrate our Nation’s 250th anniversary, may we all remember that from the earliest days of the American Revolution to the missions of today…
She was there.
And She still is.
With gratitude,
CW5 (Ret.) Phyllis J. Wilson, USA
President
Military Women’s Memorial
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