VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System

World War II Veteran Ellenor Rennell, center, spoke at the Northampton VA Medical Center Women’s History Month commemoration, March 25, 2011. Nora Tash-Brown, U.S. Navy Veteran, left, and Agnes Gallerani, right, Women’s Army Corps Veteran, also attended the event.

The Northampton VA Medical Center joined other centers across the nation in observing Women's History Month in March by recognizing and honoring women Veterans.

“Since the Revolutionary War, women have served and contributed to the military and to the nation," said Kim Adams, Northampton VAMC Women Veterans Program manager, during a recognition event Friday, March 25.  "We're part of a very proud tradition."

During the celebration, more than 35 Veterans and VA staff members heard two Veterans describe their experiences in uniform and received information from Susan Tracy, the director of the Veterans History Project, which collects first-person accounts of military service experiences.

The VAMC has partnered with the project to encourage Women Veterans to tell their stories through oral history.  Oral history interviews are recorded on tape and sent to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project.

More than 25 Veterans have so far participated in the program, said Tracy.  Most of the Veterans are men.  Tracy would like to see more Veterans participate, especially women Veterans.

"This event is a great stepping stone toward preserving the stories of women who served and to connect with more women," said Tracy.

In addition to videotaping the stories of Veterans, the project also collects narratives, memoirs, and wartime diaries of journals and other documents for archival purposes.  Veterans who participate in the oral history receive a videotape of their interview.

Tracy thanked Northampton VA Medical Center's voluntary program office for providing support to conduct the interviews and for a location to meet with Veterans.  Tracy said Gary Paulette, VAMC visual information specialist, has also helped provide technical assistance.

Adams reminded those in attendance that women Veterans are eligible for the same benefits as male Veterans.

VA’s women Veterans health care program managers are pursuing initiatives to enhance women’s health care with an overall focus on comprehensive primary health care, women's health education, reproductive health, communications and partnerships, and women’s health research.

World War II Veteran Ellenor Rennell encouraged her fellow women Veterans to remind others of the special contributions and sacrifices of the ever-increasing number of women serving in the armed forces.  Her daughter, a Vietnam Veteran, died five years ago from complications from exposure to Agent Orange.

"I am so proud to be a Veteran, and I want every one of you to know that when someone meets a Veteran, make sure you know how proud you are," said Rennell.

Melissa Zanvettor, a VAMC primary care clinic registered nurse, remembers joining the Navy in 2001 because she said she was "looking for something more and a change" in her life.  Assigned to the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship based in Baltimore, Zanvettor talked about her experiences as a hospital corpsman after Sept. 11, 2001 in providing medical support efforts to victims from the attack on the World Trade Center in New York.

She later participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom where, she said, she was on board when the Comfort treated hundreds of wounded U.S. service members, of whom several hundred were injured Iraqi civilians and enemy prisoners of war.  The ship, at the time, only had three translators, she said.

"It really made things difficult so we used innovative and creative ways to provide comfort for our patients," she said.  "It was a difficult time.  You realize the humanity of the situation. You see it on the news, but here it is now right in front of you."

National Women’s History Month is an ideal time to remind women Veterans of their status as Veterans, said Adams. 

"Women who served often don’t consider themselves veterans because traditionally they were not allowed to serve in combat or in combat zones," said Adams.  "But that is changing and especially now as we see an increasing number of women who return home from military duty as combat veterans.  We want all women to know that if they served in uniform, they, too are Veterans, and our country is grateful for their service."