Women Veterans Day Date in the current year: June 12, 2025

Throughout American history, women have served in wars and conflicts, including the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. During World War I, approximately 35,000 women officially served in lifesaving roles such as nursing and essential support positions like those of the “Hello Girls,” formally known as the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit.

During World War II, the number of women in the U.S. military increased dramatically, reaching 350,000. They served in various roles, including nursing, cryptography, military intelligence, and parachute rigging. Women served in the U.S. Women’s Naval Reserve (WAVES), the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), the U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS), and the US Marine Corps Women’s Reserve.

In August 1943, the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) merged to form the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), a single unit for all women pilots. Over two years, they flew more than 60 million miles. During this period, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was established. It was the first and only predominantly Black WAC unit deployed overseas during WWII.

However, until the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, women were only permitted to serve in the military during wartime. Nurses were the only exception, as they could serve during peacetime. The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act changed that by enabling women to serve as permanent or reserve members in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Congresswoman Margaret Chase Smith proposed the bill, which met some opposition but was supported by high-ranking military and civilian officials, including future President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

After some difficulty, the bill passed the House on May 19, 1948. The Senate unanimously approved it on May 26, and the House approved it with a vote of 206 to 133 on June 2. President Harry S. Truman signed the bill into law on June 12, 1948.

June 12 was first designated Women Veterans Recognition Day by the New York State Assembly in 2008. Since then, it has been recognized by several states, including Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as various veterans’ organizations. However, it has yet to be recognized nationally.

Even today, more than seven decades after the adoption of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, women in the U.S. Armed Forces still face challenges such as gender bias, discrimination, sexual harassment, and inadequate access to gender-specific healthcare and support services. One of the main goals of Women Veterans Day is to raise awareness of these challenges and advocate for greater inclusion and equality.