Women’s Military History Day Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1988 To amend title 36, United States Code, to direct the President to issue an annual proclamation establishing Women’s Military History Day. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 17, 2021 Ms. STEFANIK (for herself and Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To amend title 36, United States Code, to direct the Presi- dent to issue an annual proclamation establishing Wom- en’s Military History Day. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women’s Military His- 4 tory Day Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find- 7 ings: 8 (1) On March 21, 1917, Loretta Perfectus 9 Walsh became the first woman in United States his- 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:45 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1988.IH H1988 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1988 IH tory to officially enlist in any military service when 1 she joined the United States Navy in the month that 2 would later be designated Women’s History Month. 3 (2) Women have served in the United States 4 Armed Forces since the Revolutionary War, initially 5 serving in support roles as nurses, seamstresses, and 6 cooks for troops. 7 (3) Valiant women have served selflessly along- 8 side men during every conflict involving the United 9 States, and have suffered the same hardships, often 10 without the benefit of military rank or compensa- 11 tion. 12 (4) Pioneering women have served as trail- 13 blazers, inspiring generations of American women to 14 follow in their footsteps by answering the call to 15 serve. 16 (5) On January 21, 1918, Myrtle Hazard be- 17 came the first woman to officially take the oath of 18 enlistment for the United States Coast Guard, join- 19 ing twin sisters, Genevieve and Lucille Baker. 20 (6) On August 13, 1918, Opha May Johnson 21 joined the United States Marine Corps before she, or 22 any woman, was permitted to vote. 23 (7) On July 8, 1948, Esther McGowin Blake, 24 having already joined the Army Air Forces in 1944, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:45 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1988.IH H1988 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1988 IH enlisted in the active duty United States Air Force, 1 and served beside her two sons. 2 (8) Deborah Sampson was, by scholarly con- 3 sensus, the first woman to serve in the United 4 States Army, when she disguised herself as a man 5 to join the Continental Army, in which she served 6 until 1783. 7 (9) In 2015, Department of Defense formally 8 announced women could serve in direct combat roles 9 and join combat arms professions. 10 (10) Army Captains Shaye Haver and Kristen 11 Griest were the first females to graduate the United 12 States Army’s Ranger School, and Sergeant First 13 Class Amanda Kelley was the first enlisted female to 14 do so. 15 (11) There are nearly 2,000,000 living female 16 veterans of the United States Armed Forces who 17 represent approximately 10 percent of the overall 18 veteran population. 19 (12) The United States holds these iconic 20 women, and every woman who has served in the 21 United States military, in the highest regard for 22 their courage and bravery. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:45 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1988.IH H1988 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1988 IH (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to en- 1 courage the nationwide observance of ‘‘Women’s Military 2 History Day’’ on a day in the month of March. 3 SEC. 3. OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN’S MILITARY HISTORY DAY. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.— Chapter 1 of title 36, United 5 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol- 6 lowing new section: 7 ‘‘§ 146. Women’s military history day 8 ‘‘The President shall issue each year a proclamation 9 calling on the people of the United States to— 10 ‘‘(1) celebrate the bold women who have served 11 in the United States military throughout history; 12 ‘‘(2) highlight trailblazing women in the mili- 13 tary and their achievements; 14 ‘‘(3) commemorate the selfless service of women 15 in every American military conflict; and 16 ‘‘(4) observe such Women’s Military History 17 Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.’’. 18 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 19 at the beginning of chapter 1 of such title is amended by 20 adding after the item relating to section 145 the following 21 new item: 22 ‘‘146. Women’s military history day.’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:45 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1988.IH H1988 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS