Hello Friends!
On June 23, 2022, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the signing of Title IX into law, which was part of the Education Amendments Act. I was seven years old at the time and didn’t realize how this would positively impact my life--I would have many more opportunities than women who came before me. And that made me realize how much more impressive the accomplishments were of those brave and patriotic women who served before me in the Army!
As I listened to the news stories covering the anniversary of Title IX, I watched an interview with tennis great, Billy Jean King. She said, “the more you know about history, the more you know about yourself.” And that, my dear friends, is why telling Army women’s stories in the Army Women’s Museum is so important! It helps us understand the context of how women, and women’s accomplishments, have evolved not only in the Army but across our great country.
And speaking of accomplishments, we have some to share:
The Live Studio is going strong, booking 96 programs and 5,491 participants to date. Additionally, our digital educator, Micaela, has delivered programs locally, across the country and overseas! The digital “reach” of the Live Broadcast Studio that you funded is global!
In addition to the Marketing Grant FAWMA was awarded by the Cameron Foundation in November, we were recently invited to submit a proposal for a Sustainment Grant for the Live Studio—and we did.
The finishing touches for the “Hello Girls” exhibit are complete with the addition of the uniform and archival collection of former Hello Girl, Marie Louise Ruffe—courtesy of your donations.
Perhaps most exciting, Fort Lee may be renamed Fort Gregg-Adams, after LTG Arthur Gregg and LTC Charity Adams, former commander of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and who is featured in the AWM. The Naming Commission will send their recommendations to Congress this fall.
Riding the wave of enthusiasm surrounding the renaming of Fort Lee and the interest in LTC Charity Adams and the 6888th, the AWM is planning a new exhibit showcasing the Six Triple-Eight. This news is literally “hot off the presses!”
Last, but certainly not least, we would like to thank the FAWMA Team, and you, our wonderful donors and supporters! Title IX continues to fuel the contributions of women, and Army women to this nation. Billie Jean King would be proud that we are sharing history and learning more about ourselves in the process.
“Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.”
Aimee and Cydnee
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Thank You for your continued support of the AWM.
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Co-President: COL (Ret) Aimee Kominiak
Co-President: Ms. Cydnee Gentry
Vice-President: Vacant
Treasurer: Ms. Luanne Kolleda
Secretary: COL (Ret) Mary Beth Taylor
Past President/Member at Large: LTC (Ret) Delinda Creal
Member at Large: Ms. Vicki Archileti
Member at Large: MAJ (Ret) Flo Dunn
Member at Large: SFC (Ret) Gail Taylor- Black
Member at Large: Ms. Secille Siverio
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Greetings from the AWM!
We have had a busy few months here at the museum with lots of exciting news to report. In May, The Naming Commission announced their recommendations for nine Army installations named in commemoration of the Confederacy. The suggested new name for Fort Lee is Fort Gregg-Adams after LTG Arthur Gregg and LTC Charity Adams. A representative from the commission told me, “Women featured prominently in the candidates for Fort Lee, in large part due to the presence of the museum.” Early in the renaming process, the AWM submitted a brief nominating LTC Adams, commander of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion in World War II, to the commission. The museum hosted the commission on their visits to Fort Lee and our staff diligently attended all community engagement events to advocate for LTC Adams so we were thrilled with this announcement. The commission also acknowledged other women by recommending that Fort A.P. be renamed after Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and Fort Benning be renamed in commemoration of LTG Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore. These recommendations will be sent to Congress by October 1, 2022.
Thanks to the generous financial support of FAWMA, we were able to install Marie Louise Ruffe’s uniform in the Origins of Service Gallery. Ruffe served as a Telephone Operator during WWI. Her uniform completes the museum’s “Hello Girl” exhibit which features Ruffe’s archival collection.
Finally, I have the honor of representing the museum as a liaison to the United States Mint for the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Congressional Gold Medal. Nominated by the sponsors of the “Six Triple Eight” Congressional Gold Medal Bill, Senator Jerry Moran and Representative Gwen Moore, I am on a team with COL Edna Cummings, USA (Ret) and CDR Carlton Philpot, USN (Ret). Our role is to collaborate closely with the Mint staff for the medal design. It is an honor to work on this symbol of the nation’s gratitude to the members of the 6888th.
With the spotlight on our recommended new base name and the 6888th Congressional Gold Medal, the AWM is planning for a LTC Charity Adams and Six Triple-Eight exhibit. We hope to open this exhibit before the end of 2023 and will keep you posted about opportunities to support the effort!
I want to close with a heartfelt thank you to all of our FAWMA friends – you all are the best.
Sincerely,
Tracy
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CW5 (Ret) Candy Martin receives Ancient Order of
Saint Martin. Photo Credits: Army Quartermaster Foundation@2022.
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BG Michelle Donahue, QM General congratulates CW5(R) Candy Martin on receiving the Ancient Order of Saint Martin at a ceremony at Fort Lee,Va. |
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CW5 (Ret) Candy Martin, the newest recipient of the Ancient Order of Saint Martin |
Meet CW5 (Ret) Candy Martin, the newest recipient of the Ancient Order of Saint Martin, who was awarded this most prestigious honor by BG Michelle Donahue, the 56th Quartermaster General, during the Quartermaster Honors Ceremony at the Lee Club on 4 May 2022. The Ancient Order of Saint Martin recognizes the select few who stand above their brethren of the Distinguished Order and is reserved for those Quartermaster Soldiers and Civilians who have performed conspicuous long-term service that singularly distinguishes themselves as contributors to the Quartermaster Corps. CW5 Martin is undeniably deserving of this highest honor. Her impressive bio follows:
Candy Martin was born and raised in South Dakota. She enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in 1975 and retired from the U. S. Army 38 years later as a Chief Warrant Officer Five. She served in a variety of positions and deployed in support of Iraqi Freedom from August 2005 to July 2006.
She has been awarded multiple military awards, to include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. She proudly served in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps and was inducted into the Quartermaster Hall of Fame in 2017.
Candy follows her passion of serving Veterans and Gold Star Families. Candy is married to Sergeant Major (Ret) Ed Martin, and they raised four children. Tom, a 2005 graduate of the United States Military Academy, was killed in action while serving in Iraq on October 14, 2007. Ed and Candy have three adult daughters and four grandchildren. Candy and Ed enjoy balancing family, volunteering, traveling, and retirement!
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6888th Exhibit Coming Soon! |
The AWM and FAWMA are celebrating the achievements of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and LTC Charity Adams. The Naming Commission is recommending a new base name in her honor and the 6888th Congressional Gold Medal has been approved by Congress. The AWM with FAWMA's support are planning to honor both the Six Triple-Eight and LTC Adams with an exhibit opening late 2023.
Please help support our efforts!
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HELLO GIRL EXHIBIT - NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! |
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AWM Team Prepping Ruffe Uniform for the new Hello Girls Exhibit. |
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Louise Ruffle, Hello Girls telephone operator 1918 uniform on exhibit at the AWM. |
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US Army Police Commandant visits the AWM |
In April, BG Niave Knell, Commandant of the U.S. Army Military Police School, visited the AWM. BG Knell is getting ready to serve as the 1st Infantry Division’s first female Deputy Commanding General at FT Riley. BG Knell was pleased to see so many history making MPs featured at the museum. She is a founding member of the Women of West Point – an organization with whom the AWM is building a relationship. |
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AWM Curator with Virginia Tourism Representative
Twenty representatives from Virginia Welcome Centers across the state visited the AWM in June. This Familiarization Tour, sponsored through a partnership between the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Petersburg Area Regional Tourism, was designed to introduce front line workers to state attractions that they can then encourage travelers to visit. Virginia is for Lovers!
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WWII WAC Emily Drake examining COL Hobby jacket.
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A WWII WAC veteran, 97 year old Emily Drake, visited the AWM from Pittsburgh. This trip was a special request from Emily as she “desperately wanted to visit the Army Women’s Museum” while her health is still good. The Education Specialist welcomed Ms. Drake and gave her a tour. Ms. Drake had been to the opening of the museum in 2001 and marveled at the redesigned galleries. She enjoyed sharing some of her experiences as a WAC. |
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Welcome FAWMA Admin Assistant, Danna Oronoz |
Welcome aboard to our new Admin Assistant, Danna Oronoz! We are thrilled to have Danna on board as she comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience with non-profit organizations.
An Army brat and now an Army spouse, Danna spent her whole life moving. Curiosity was the driving force in pursuing a career that would allow her to share a thirst for knowledge with others. As a first-generation Puerto Rican migrant, she grew up speaking Spanish and English interchangeably. Frequent relocation and travel exposed her to many regions and cultures, providing countless opportunities for absorbing new experiences, igniting and fueling her lifelong passion for learning. Her childhood bedroom, wherever located at the time, was carefully curated with souvenirs and books she obtained throughout her travels: a Bible from Jerusalem, the complete collection of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales from his home in Copenhagen, a book about the world’s Seven Natural Wonders from the Grand Canyon, to name just a few.
Danna's wide-ranging interests have led her in many directions. Since graduating university, she has found employment in a diverse range of fields including customer service, public relations, education, tech support, and marketing. As a result, she has learned to work with people in varied environments, from teaching and mentoring middle-school students, to bringing new technology and media to broaden community outreach. Her journey so far has prompted a desire to pursue a graduate education, channel passions, and realize professional goals. She is excited and grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with the Friends of the Army Women’s Museum Association, and looks forward to the unique experiences that her time with the organization will bring!
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QM Soldier during archival research at the AWM |
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Volunteers help out at the AWM. Come join our team of volunteers. |
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AWM AWARD WINNING
LIVE STUDIO
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The AWM Virtual Education Specialist, Micaela Procopio, was selected for a prestigious summer graduate student research fellowship at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Micaela will be working full time in the USHMM research center as she develops content for her PhD thesis.
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The AWM Curator facilitating a distance learning program through our Live Broadcast Studio. |
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JOIN US FOR AN AWARD WINNING
VIRTUAL PROGRAM THROUGH THE AWM
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At the U.S. Army Women’s Museum, we like to say that every month is Women’s History Month!
We delivered programs around the country this past fiscal year, with one school alone having 60 separate log-ons! We delivered programs in many different states, from Texas to New York and Connecticut to Kansas. The two programs requested the most during the year are both new! Our program on World War I called “Paving the Way to Equality” was presented to several groups, one in New Mexico and one for individuals who work at the Scott Air Force base in Illinois! Our other popular program, “Spies & Disguise: American Women during the American Revolution” is not even a year old and has been delivered to elementary students and adults alike!
During Women's History Month in March, we produced a one-minute commercial on our programs and the studio. Currently, we are set to produce commercials on each of our program offerings to display on our social media and on the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration website. We are now gearing up for the new school year, so if you know of any teachers or educator friends who are looking for virtual field trips and a new topic to learn about, please send them our way!
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OUTREACH AND
COMMUNITY EVENTS
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Colonial Heights, Virginia Memorial Day Celebration |
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Living the Legacy while remembering our Forefathers, Mothers & Comrades
May 30, 2022
Gail Taylor Black, SFC, US Army (Ret), spoke at the annual Memorial Day Ceremony sponsored by VFW 2239 from Chester Virginia on May 30, 2022. The ceremony was held at the War Memorial in Colonial Heights, Virginia and included a host of local officials and dignitaries. Over 200 participants were in attendance and included the President of the Quartermaster Foundation, several VFW’s, the American Legion, many service-related organizations, veterans, and family members.
SFC (Ret) Black spoke about her humble beginnings as a military child and how she was honored to participate in “The Witness to War Documentary” in 2018. She also paid tribute to her father and grandfather that served during the Vietnam War and Korea War. Gail spoke of her service on the staff of the late Quarter Master General James M. Wright until he retired, and shared a brief story and how she visited his grave site in March 2022. Her emotional testament to his memory, was a tribute to his legacy long after his passing in 2001.
Ms. Black recognized each branch of service, the veterans, and their families for their service and sacrifice, and all the service organizations, one of which was her beloved U.S Army Women’s Museum and the Friends of the Army Women’s Museum Association on which she is a board member. Ms. Black ended her speech with a recitation of the Noncommissioned Officer Creed with a special note to all that served. She gave a heartfelt thank you to everyone that came out to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.
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Women's Health Clinic at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem, Virginia renamed in honor of Veteran MSG (Ret) Silverine Vinyard James, an African American WAC. |
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The Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center dedicated its Women’s Health Center on June 6, 2022 to local resident MSG (Ret) Silverine Vinyard James. Her military uniform now hangs in a glass case outside the Center.
James was born in Vinton, VA, a small-town east of Roanoke, Virginia in 1929. She joined the Army in 1949, following in her brother’s footsteps in serving her country. At age 20, she enlisted as a WAC (Women’s Army Corps). She trained at the WAC training facility at Camp Lee, now Fort Lee, an Army base south of Richmond. She belonged to a segregated company of black women living during Jim Crow discrimination.
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James had a distinguished career in the Army with duty stations in New York, Japan, Germany, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. After the Army she worked at the Salem VA Medical Center and for the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
MAJ (RET) Flo Dunn, FAWMA Board member is proud of her fellow WAC, noting that they became friends while serving at Fort Eustis in the Public Affairs Office under the U.S. Army Transportation Training Command in the late fifties. MAJ (RET) Dunn believes it is fitting for the VA Women’s Health Center to be named for Silverine after her decades of dedicated service to the country and the Army.
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At Ease: Mid-Atlantic Military Life Magazine article on the AWM |
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At Ease: Mid-Atlantic Military Life magazine published an article about the AWM in their May Issue. The Curator was interviewed for the article and the Education Specialist provided a tour for the reporter and photographer. The publication has a print circulation of approximately 200,000 as well as an online edition. The three page feature story contains many great images as well as links to AWM educational products.
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WELCOME SUSSEX HIGH SCHOOL |
Sussex High School visited the Army Women’s Museum for a special program this past month. The AWM staff gave a tour of the galleries and used items from the education collection to illustrate how Army women’s contributions and accomplishments have developed over the years. The participants were interested in the artifacts and archives and had fun taking lots of photos in the galleries. |
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Volunteer Luncheon for Fort Lee Museum Volunteers |
Fort Lee Museum Volunteers were recognized at a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon in April.
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Fort Lee Entry Requirements – Subject to Change! |
Please be advised that the entrance requirements for Fort Lee are subject to change so you must check with the Fort Lee Visitor Control Center before you come and visit.
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HELP US SAVE MONEY ON POSTAGE!
We need your help. Currently, we send out snail mail thank you letters to all donors who have not shared their emails with us. We also send out the quarterly FAWMA FOCUS via the Post Office. If you could send us your email address, we could send the donor Thank You letters and the newsletter electronically. This will reduce our postage costs as well as paper and printing costs. Send your email to ltfawma@gmail.com along with your name and address so we can ensure we update it properly in our database. We would really appreciate your help in reducing our costs.
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Thanks to you, we have over 4800 users on Facebook!
But, did you know you can follow us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube?
Check us out and help us grow!
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Leave a Legacy that Supports Women’s History |
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Do you have questions about adding the AWM in your will or trust? We appreciate your consideration in supporting the US Army Women’s Museum with a bequest through your will or trust.
By including the Friends of the US Army Women’s Museum Association in your will or trust you can ensure the rich history of women serving our country can be enjoyed by future generations. Your bequest will help inspire so many to great actions.
Gifts through wills and living trusts are simple to arrange and may be changed at any time. A provision or amendment prepared by your attorney at the time you make or update your will is all that is necessary. Please note that we are only taking monetary requests, no real estate or real property.
To make your bequest to the Friends of the Army Women’s Museum Association, please use the following language, while consulting with your attorney:
The Friends of the Army Women’s Museum Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
TO THE FRIENDS OF THE ARMY WOMEN’S MUSEUM ASSOCIATION, PRINCE GEORGE, VA , I HEREBY GIVE $______ (OR _______%) OF MY ESTATE.
Our federal tax identification number is 26-2206026
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AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice. Please consider registering the Friend's of the Army Women's Museum Association (FAWMA) on Amazon Smiles and as you buy, your purchase helps support the museum with your charitable gift. Thank you. www.smile.amazon.com
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