to Andersonville during the Civil War, and Cathay Williams, who,
freed from slavery during the Civil War, dressed as a man to
serve two years as an infantry soldier, and thousands more
women, whose names are unknown to history, have in every
conflict served our national interests largely without official
recognition and commendation; and
WHEREAS, With America's approach and entry into World War I,
for the first time women were recruited to serve in auxiliary
military units and 14,000 women responded to free troops for
combat by serving in noncombat duties such as clerks and radio
electricians while 21,000 more women served in the Army Nurse
Corps at camps and hospitals here and overseas; and
WHEREAS, Women's services nonetheless continued to be
regarded in a subordinate position: hundreds of women who served
in the Army Signal Corps were required to purchase their own
uniforms and were denied military discharges until 1979, long
after most of these veterans had passed away; and
WHEREAS, The auxiliary units were disbanded following World
War I until 1941 and in 1943 were granted official military
status in the Women's Army Corps (WACs), Women Accepted for
Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), the Navy and the Marine
Corps Women's Reserve; and
WHEREAS, With the passage of the Women's Armed Services
Integration Act of 1948, women were finally allowed to serve as
permanent members of the military and granted entitlement to
veteran benefits; and
WHEREAS, Today more than 200,000 women, comprising about 10%
of all service personnel, including dozens of female generals
and admirals, are fully integrated throughout all branches of
the armed forces, including combat components; and
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