By Lisa Moore
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
The role of women in the military has evolved over the generations. In 1782 Deborah Sampson, one of a small number of women who disguised themselves as men in order to join the American Revolutionary War, served as a man for 17 months, fought in combat and was wounded. Shot in the leg, she refused medical treatment to avoid being found out, eventually leaving the service by honorable discharge. Years after her service, she would be recognized by the government administration and received back pay and a pension. The actions of this brave woman and others like her forged a path for future generations of women to follow. Today, service opportunities for women in the military have evolved to the extent where the ban on combat duty has been removed.
As part of Wellesley Free Library’s Wellesley Reads Together 2017 and the chosen book, “Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir” by Michael Anthony, two veteran panels were assembled as a way for veterans and community members to connect.
Five women joined the panel to share some of their experiences in both service and their transitions back to civilian life.
Army CPT Virginia Grew served from 1969-1976. For her, military service was a means to an education. As a BC student with growing tuition concerns, she attended an armed forces career day and was accepted into the Army in 1969, where she entered the nursing program. In 1971, she graduated as a second lieutenant. Her first assignment was active duty in San Antonio, Texas. After six weeks of basic training, she was sent to her first duty in Augusta, GA at Fort Gordon hospital, a WWII-era hospital. She recalled the hospital clearly, describing the structure as a massive, one-story building with ramps and no elevators covering many acres, requiring supervisors to ride bicycles to visit every ward.
While working in the nursing ward, Grew applied to school as a pediatric nurse practitioner in 1972. The change added three more years on to her Army obligation, but paid for her education. Her next move was to Fort Carson in Colorado, where she spent five years. During her time in Carson, she was promoted to captain. In 1975, she went to Pennsylvania to work with refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam. In 1976, she was honorably discharged.
“My only regret is that I would have liked to see an overseas experience,” said Grew. “It was a wonderful experience for me, even during a time of racial tensions and antiwar sentiment. By choosing the ed program, it deferred me from going to Vietnam. I feel blessed at not having to go to Vietnam. Many medical professionals came back, not the same.”
Air Force Colonel Julie Hall was drawn to the idea of military service from childhood. She was the first to enter the military in a family of seven brothers and sisters. “From the beginning, I always felt I wanted to be independent and treated the same as everyone else,” she said. “I felt the military was my best shot at equality.”
Col. Hall entered the air force as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) at Lackland Airforce Base, where she rose to staff sergeant. From 1978 to the 1980s, Hall managed a hospital, where she wrangled with many stereotypes - most notably, she was often called a nurse. After spending a lot of time in Washington, DC, Col. Hall went to Korea. One of the first females to be sent overseas, she won a Meritorious Service Medal.
While in Korea, Col. Hall was one of a few high ranking female officers. She found the culture ripe for change, observing how American men treated their new Korean wives. Through her work, she ensured all women American or Korean felt respected, and worked to change the culture at the hospital. “The theme throughout my entire career has been facing challenges of being a female in the military. I have had a very rewarding experience. If they called me today I would be packing up and going. That’s how much I loved my experience.”
US Army Colonel Andrea Gayle-Bennett has served from 1983 to the present. In 1981, while out looking for a job in Pennsylvania, Col. Bennett saw a poster for the National Guard that asked: “Looking for a part time job?” She spoke to a recruiter and felt that through the National Guard, she could help people. She signed up.
In 1983, Col. Bennett became a warrant officer in PA. In the 1990s, she became part of a female medical program, and quickly rose through the ranks. Col. Bennett spent time in 2008 in Paraguay as part of a medical mission and in 2009 went to Iraq as a surgeon. She spent four months “inside the wire” treating injured soldiers, amidst fires and mortar fire.
“When I came home I felt like I left my family behind,” said Col. Bennett. When her unit returned home to Fort Malloy, she went there to “tend to her children.” In 2012, Col. Bennett was promoted to Colonel, the first African American female in the history of the National Guard to reach the rank of Colonel. In 2014, she became the state surgeon for the National Guard, the first non-physician and African American to reach this position. “It was a hard struggle as a woman, but I would not change a thing. It was an interesting learning curve. At first I thought I was just performing community service, but it is more than that, and I am proud I did it.”
US Navy Colonel Adel Langevin served from 1984-2009. A dedicated peace activist during Vietnam, Col. Langevin felt “I could better help people by being in the Navy in intelligence.” With all her training being done during drill weekends, with hard work she gradually rose through the ranks, eventually becoming an analyst with an NCIS unit.
In 1999 after the USS Cole was attacked, she was sent to Bahrain as part of a force protection/counter terrorism group. After 9/11 happened, she was sent as part of Operation Noble Eagle to do an active duty rotation for four months. While sent to non-combat duty, it was still hazardous, particularly being in an area of civil unrest between rival Sunni and Shia governments.
During that time, she stayed in a hotel in Bahrain. There was no security, she had no weapon, and had to check for things like car bombs daily. “I did some good work there. I came home a mess. My determination got me through Bahrain, but it was difficult coming back to my job. Over time, I became less of a mess and became a commanding officer for my unit. I love our country, I felt I was doing something important, but things change you. Not always in a good way.”
US Marine Sergeant Gisele Sterling served from 2000-2004. As she began discussing her experiences, she turned to the panel and thanked “the amazing trail blazers of women who came before her.” Sgt. Sterling acknowledged the importance of sharing their stories, and her role as commissioner of Veterans Services in Boston at the Mayor’s office.
“I was called to serve. Since the age of 14 I knew I wanted to be a Marine. Stories of Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima inspired me,” said Sgt. Sterling. During her service, she chose to be stationed in Okinawa, where she got to practice karate. Shortly after 9/11, she was deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom as a field operator responsible for fixing field communications. Later she became a Marine Corps martial arts instructor. After she left the Marines, she used her skills as a radio field operator and became a Comcast cable technician.
“I loved working with my hands, but then winter came,“ she said. For Sgt. Sterling, the transition to civilian life was a difficult one, and she held many different jobs, each for a short time. Undeterred, she recalled “I am a big believer that adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.”
Ending the panel discussion, moderator and Director of Veteran Services Staff Sergeant First Class Sarada Kalpee, who has served in the US Army Reserves since 2002, thanked the panel for sharing their stories and for helping to change the male-dominated culture of the military.
“These women have paved the way for me to serve, and my job is to pave the way for my daughter. My daughter will not say #metoo!”
Thank you to all of these veterans for their years of service, the sacrifices they made, and for sharing their stories with the public.
