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Happy Women Veterans Recognition Day to women Veterans!

This little-known holiday isn't nationally recognized, but some states proclaim the day officially.

Why do women Vets need their own day? They are recognized for a completely different reason than you think. June 12 commemorates the day President Harry Truman signed the Women's Armed Service Integration Act in 1948. Mind blown? Read more here.

Did you know about Women Veterans Recognition Day before this newsletter?

No! Who knew?

I sure did!

Stat of the week

35,000

35,000 women served in World War I. Most of these roles were 'Hello Girls" - telephone operators and nurses. More occupations opened for women during WWII.

Events & Highlights

Upcoming Events

Charlotte & Metrolina

Heist Brewery Run Club (HBRC) (CLT) Monday, June 12| Heist Brewery - NoDa Charlotte, NC 28205 | 6:30 - 8:30PM | Cost: Various | More Info

Wednesday Workout (CLT) | Wednesday, June 14 | Veterans Memorial Park 2400 McClintock Road Charlotte, NC 28205 | 6:00 - 6:45AM Cost: Free | Register

Uptown Veterans Lunch (CLT) | Wednesday, June 14 | Covenant Presbyterian Church 1000 East Morehead Street (Fellowship hall) Charlotte, NC 28204

|11:30AM - 1:00PM | Register

Veterans Coffee at VBH HQ (CLT) | Thursday, June 15 | Veterans Bridge Home HQ 5260 Parkway Plaza Ste 110

Charlotte, NC 28217 |7:30AM - 8:30AM | Register

Ft Mill Veteran Lunch (Midlands SC) | Thursday, June 15| Towne Tavern Restaurant 2000 SC-160 Fort Mill, SC 29708 |11:30AM - 12:45PM | Register

Operation Save Cedar Grove (CLT) | Thursday, June 22 | Cedar Grove Cemetary 2400 Hildebrand Street Charlotte, NC 28216 |9:00AM - 1:00PM | Register

Veterans Coffee (Concord) | Thursday, June 22 | Hendrick Motoersport - Team Center 4400 Papa Joe Hendrick Blvd

Charlotte, NC 28262 | 9:00AM - 11:00AM | Register

Triad

Goodwill Office Hours (Gboro) | Friday, June 16 | 6:00 - 8:00pm | Forgotten Road Ales

141 E Harden Street

Graham, NC 27253 | More Info

Veterans Night (Graham) | Thursday, June 22 | 6:00 - 8:00pm | Forgotten Road Ales

141 E Harden Street

Graham, NC 27253 | More Info

Sandhills

Veteran Coffee (Fayetteville) | Tuesday, June 13 | 9:00am - 10:30am | Gaston Brewing Tap Room 421 Chicago Drive

Fayetteville, NC 28306 | Register

Triangle

Veteran Coffee (Cary) | Tuesday, July 18 | 8:30am - 10:00am | BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse 5707 Dillard Drive Cary, NC 27511 | Register

Virtual

Financial Wellness Seminar | Every 3rd Thursday, 4PM | Register :E-mail

Code 0157568 |

News

105 years after his death, WWI doughboy finally receives proper burial (Military Times)

After 105 years, the remains of an American doughboy were finally given a proper burial.

Today, the American Battle Monuments Commission, alongside French and U.S. officials, interred its first Great War unknown since 1988 — the first burial at Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in France since 1932.

On February 8, 2022, local undertaker Jean-Paul Feval was digging a fresh gravesite in the cemetery at Villers-Sur-Fère, in northeastern France, when he stumbled upon “human bones, along with artifacts that would later include pieces of a helmet, a stretcher, a trench knife and a corroded, unreadable dog tag,” according to a Washington Post report.

The stretcher was a particularly unique find.

Women Veterans Recognition Day(VA News)

Today, Women Veterans Recognition Day, we honor the service and sacrifices of women Veterans. This day serves as a reminder that women have long fought for the right to serve and are an integral part of the United States military.

Throughout history, women have been vital in defending our country, from when they disguised themselves as men during the Revolutionary War to serving as nurses during the Civil War to flying combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, it was not until the passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 that women were formally recognized as a permanent part of the military. In 2023, we commemorate the 75th anniversary of this landmark legislation and honor the contributions of women Veterans who have served and continue to serve our country.

Men Stranded on Capsized Boat for 8 Hours — Until Captain’s Wife Alerts Coast Guard

(Military News)

Boaters were stranded for eight hours on the hull of their capsized fishing boat off the coast of Oregon, officials said.

They were rescued thanks to the captain’s “float plan” — telling a friend or family member where you’re going and when they should expect you to return, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release.

The captain’s wife notified rescuers at the Columbia River Coast Guard station at 7:30 p.m. that her husband hadn’t made it back to the marina by the time he told her to expect him Wednesday, June 7, officials said in the release.

Ask Stew: How Preparing for Swimming in Open Water Differs from in a Pool (Military.com)

Swimming in a pool can be very different than in open water, largely depending on the type of open water; swimming in lakes is not the same as doing so in rivers and larger bodies of water. From tides and currents to colder, darker and murkier water, there are many elements to prepare yourself for, both mentally and physically if considering open-water swimming (military or civilian competition).

Here is a great question from a future military member preparing for a job in Navy Special Warfare/Special Ops (SEAL, SWCC, EOD, diver). He is considering entering some open-water competitions prior to joining the service.

How the voice of Transformers’ Optimus Prime was inspired by a Marine (Military Times)

Peter Cullen is an illustrious voice actor known for such roles as Eeyore in “Winnie the Pooh” and the otherworldly hunter we know well as the “Predator.” But it is his role in “Transformers” as the wise Swiss Army Knife semi-truck-turned-robot Optimus Prime that has earned Cullen the most attention.

As it turns out, the inspiration for that gravelly voice of calm in the face of certain annihilation is none other than a U.S. Marine Corps veteran — Cullen’s bother Larry.