U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CWV – News Update

Spring has sprung! Are you looking forward to getting outside, into the garden, onto your bike, or out for a walk or roll in nature? Maybe your mind is ready but your body says, “Hold on a minute.” If your body needs a little warming up for spring, you may want to practice some mobility exercises. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Air Forces Veteran Gertrude Tompkins Silver. Silver served with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Gertrude Vreeland Tompkins Silver was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, in October 1912. The youngest of three daughters, Silver was a shy child who had difficulty socializing and was a poor student. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

VA recognizes March 21-25, 2022, as “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Health Awareness Week.” VA takes seriously its charge to provide care for all Veterans, including LGBTQ+ Veterans. [From VAntage Point]

One of the first females to fly in a combat zone, Navy Veteran Linda Maloney, shares her journey in the Navy and her desire to honor Woman Veterans through Proudly She Served. At age 17, Linda Maloney knew that she wanted more. Her parents were divorced and couldn’t afford to send her to college. Looking to take control of her life, she joined the Navy. [From VAntage Point]

During Women’s History Month, today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Florence A. Blanchfield, a superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps. Florence A. Blanchfield was born in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in 1884. She was the daughter of stonemason Joseph Plunkett Blanchfield and Mary Louvenia Anderson Blanchfield, a nurse. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

Amarillo VA’s Women Veterans program celebrated its first newborn baby in 2022 during a celebration with the family at the Lubbock clinic Feb. 28. Wade Augustus Spearing entered the world at 6 pounds and 10 ounces. The clinic staff honored the newborn, who was born New Year’s day, and his mother, Army Veteran Amanda Spearing. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Coast Guard Veteran Dorothy Stratton. Stratton served as the first director of Semper Paratus, Always Ready women’s reserve during World War II. Coast Guard Veteran Dorothy C. Stratton was born in Brookfield, Missouri, in March 1899. After finishing grade school in the Midwest, she attended Ottawa University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1920. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

March is a whole month dedicated to promote the profession of Nutrition Services, as well as delivering nutrition education to the public. A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can help you improve your overall health and wellness. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Kimberly M. Mitchell, who served in the Navy as a surface warfare officer from 1996 to 2012. Kimberly M. Mitchell took an interesting path to joining the Navy. In May 1972 near Quang Tri, Vietnam, a South Vietnamese Marine named Bao Tran was given an abandoned baby in a hat. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

Carmelita Vigil-Schimmenti was the first Hispanic woman to reach the rank of brigadier general. Carmelita Vigil-Schimmenti grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She lived with her family on a pinto bean farm, land that her grandfather received through a homestead. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Mary Genevive Phillips, who served as head of the Army Nurse Corps. In December 1903, Mary Genevieve Phillips was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She was one of nine children. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

While honoring and celebrating their achievements in a special way, women Veterans of the Texas Hill Country and surrounding areas joined forces at the Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater in Kerrville during the 30th Annual Salute to Women Veterans. Sponsored by the Women’s Health program at South Texas VA, many employees and volunteers worked to ensure this event was exceptional, especially after COVID-19 canceled last year’s event. [From VAntage Point]

This week’s America250 salute is Air Force Veteran Esther Blake, who was the first woman in the Air Force July 8, 1948. Esther Blake, a 51-year-old mother of two, was the first woman to ever join the Air Force. She enlisted on July 8, 1948, the first minute of the first hour on the first day women were allowed to join the Air Force. [From VAntage Point]

Opportunities for women Veteran-owned small businesses are growing exponentially. There are programs specifically geared toward positioning women Veteran-owned small businesses in level playing fields in the federal marketplace. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Katherine V. Leahy, who served as a nurse in the Pacific theater in World War II. Katherine Leahy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in April 1912. She graduated from the Yale School of Nursing in 1934 and worked as a nurse in a hospital in Bridgeport. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

In legislation signed yesterday by President Biden, the VA San Diego Healthcare System will be renamed after U.S. Army Veteran, Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno. This is the first time that a VA medical facility has been named for a woman Veteran of color. [From Times of San Diego]

During Women’s History Month, today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Mary Rasmuson, the fifth director of the Women’s Army Corps. Mary Rasmuson was born in April 1911 in East Pittsburgh. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with her bachelor’s degree in education and later received her master’s degree in school administration from the University of Pittsburgh. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.