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Women Veteran Recognition Day, June 12th, is to honor the service and contributions of women in the U.S. Armed Forces. This date marks the anniversary of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948.
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Women veterans at the Brainerd VFW
She Wears the Boots: A VA Podcast for Women Veterans: https://www.spreaker.com/show/she-wears-the-boots-a-podcast-for-women
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April 12, 2022: Eusebia "Chappy" Rios became a member of the Brainerd VFW. She served 33 years in the Air Force, retiring as a Major. Her overseas service included Afghanistan and Iraq. Now known as the "Happy Chappy" she is the Chaplain Reverend at Woodland Acres Good Samaritan in Brainerd.
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Ciera Mitchell joined the Brainerd VFW on January 11, 2022. She served as a Marine 2015-20. Part of her time was in Bahrain, not far from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Her job was Meteorological Oceanographic Forecaster. Ciera retired as a Sergeant E5 and now lives in Baxter. She is happy to be a member of the Brainerd VFW to associate with other veterans.
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January 11, 2022: Amy Barnum became a member of the Brainerd VFW. She is a First Sergeant, spending 23 years in the Army National Guard and is working at Camp Ripley in supply. She served in Kuwait 2004-05, then again in 2018-19.
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Tuesday, October 7, 2025: The 50th anniversary of Service Women's ability to enroll in U.S. Federal Service Academies. It was on October 7, 1975, that President Gerald Ford signed Public Law allowing open enrollment for women at all federal service academies, such as the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and lastly the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
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(l-r) Mary Dyrendahl and Jeff McArthur. A meeting was arranged at the Brainerd VFW where women veterans could come to view and be a part of a Zoom meeting. There were 139 check-ins nationwide. Mary lives in Brainerd but was in the U.S. Army attaining the rank of Specialist 4th Class. She served stateside and then in Germany. Her career spanned 1985 through 1889.
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November 29, 2024: Women Veterans Night at the Brainerd VFW. There were eleven women veterans in attendance. Two had to leave early and are not pictured, and two asked not to be photographed. There were snacks and pizza for dinner and a kids table for anyone who brought children so they would not be excluded from participating. Most of the ladies are new to the area and made friends with the other ladies. Crow Wing County Chapter 22 of the Disabled American Veterans funded the night. Homeless and Wounded Warrior MN provided gifts for all the women veterans who attended. Unused items were donated to the Veteran Resource Enrichment Center in St. Cloud, MN.
Thanks to Natalie Petersen, Crow Wing County Assistant Veterans' Service Officer for the photos and story.
Lt. Colonel Hortense McKay 1910-1988
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Saturday, March 25, 2023: About a thousand people attended a ceremony at the Brainerd High School. A Congressional Gold Medal was given to the family of Lt. Colonel Hortense McKay for her service to our country. McKay signed up for the military at the beginning of WWII. She served in Bataan, Corregidor, Australia and many other places during her 25 years of service. Speakers included Colonel Hope Williamson-Younce of the Army Nurse Corps, Lt. Colonel John Hobot of the 194th Armor Regiment, Captain Rachel Cochran of the Minnesota National Guard, the Honorable Santiago Busa, Jr. of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project and Major General Johanna Clyborne of the Minnesota Army National Guard. Receiving the Congressional Gold Medal were Richard McKay, John McKay and Patricia McKay Broback.
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October 22, 2021: An informal women veteran group of ten got together at the Brainerd VFW to do art painting, which could also be called vet-craft. The gathering was the idea of Natalie Petersen, Veteran Service Specialist at the Crow Wing County Veteran Service Office. The group included a couple of ladies from the VFW Auxiliary. Brushes by Brandy supplied the materials and know how.
For more information, contact Natalie Petersen at 218-824-1058 or [email protected]
For more information, contact Natalie Petersen at 218-824-1058 or [email protected]
Funded by the Brainerd VFW and Auxiliary, the evening ended with root beer floats.
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The group included Navy veteran Rita Reikofski, the MN VFW Sixth District Auxiliary President. She is on the left in red.
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U.S. Navy photo of Rita Reikofski
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Check with the Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles for a plate like this.
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March is Woman's Military History Month https://www.military.com/history/womens-history-month
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