Local women who’ve served in the military were celebrated on Saturday at the first-ever Women Veterans Day ceremony in Corpus Christi.
This is what a veteran looks like.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared June 12 "Women Veterans Day" in Texas, and now, organizers in Corpus Christi have hosted a ceremony in honor of the women who’ve served our nation.
It happened over at Sherrill Park, where both men and women veterans and supporters gathered. Organizers reminded that you never know who might be a veteran.
The event aimed "to show you what a veteran looks like, aside from what most people think a veteran looks like," explained Leann Fox, founder of Women Veterans of the Coastal Bend. "Which is typically a man in the ballcap…here I am in a sundress and…you know, a Kentucky Derby hat. This is what a veteran looks like."
A Navy veteran, Fox founded Women Veterans of the Coastal Bend back in 2014. Now, the group is helping to organize celebrations to honor female service members for years to come.
So, why June 12? Well, 70 years ago, on June 12, 1948, the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was signed, allowing women to serve as permanent, regular members of the military.
