The Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. is actively seeking to register all female veterans (past and present) in the United States. According to their website, “The Women in Military Service for America Memorial (Women’s Memorial) is the only major national memorial honoring all women who have defended America throughout history. We are proud to recognize their devoted patriotism and bravery as an integral part of our national heritage.”

U.S. Navy Veteran, Senior Chief Joy Asuncion, of Belfast, Maine, is Maine’s Ambassador for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. She and the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services (MBVS) have formed a partnership to help spread the word about the program and to challenge other towns to get all their female veterans registered in the free program.

The Women’s Memorial was founded in 1997 and currently has 266,000 female veterans registered out of the three million women who have served or are serving in or with the U.S. Armed Forces starting with the American Revolution. It’s the only major national memorial honoring all servicewomen - past, present and future.

When asked why this project is important Asuncion remarked, “Women veterans’ legacy of service should be remembered. For me registering wasn’t just because I’m an American military service member, I did it for my family, too. Last year, I took my son John and grandchildren to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorial. It was so rewarding to hear my grandchildren say, ‘Hey, that’s Grammy Joy!,’ when they recognized my photo and read about my service.”

Director of Strategic Partnerships at MBVS, Sarah Sherman said, “We’d like to see this vital historical project start in the Boothbay region, where I have worked for the last 20 years documenting veterans’ stories. I personally registered 16 female veterans who enlisted from the peninsula and I’d like to see this initiative roll up through the state in 2019, with one town challenging another to get all their female veterans registered. We are reaching out to cities and towns, historical societies and libraries to help spread the word about the project. Our goal is to be the first state in the nation to complete the registration process, but it’s going to have to be a team effort state wide to complete this action plan.”

For more information about the project or if you do not have internet access and would like to receive a paper registration form, contact Joy Asuncion, Maine’s Ambassador for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at 207-930-5640 or email joyasuncion@roadrunner.com

Maine’s female veterans can also connect with each other by requesting to join Asuncion’s Facebook group, Maine Women Veterans.

Help record a vital part of Maine’s and our nation’s history and honor the women who have served their country with pride and patriotism. Register at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial today!

Accompanying this article are photos of female veterans from the Boothbay region, courtesy of Sarah Sherman.