Federal Hall National Memorial Honors Women at War

NEW YORK—To celebrate Women’s History Month, the National Park Service (NPS) held a free month-long program at the Federal Hall National Memorial every Wednesday throughout March
Federal Hall National Memorial Honors Women at War
3/30/2011
Updated:
3/30/2011
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/DrOliviaHooUSCG-SPAR_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/DrOliviaHooUSCG-SPAR_medium.jpg" alt="WOMEN AT WAR: The first African-American admitted to the U.S. Coast Guard, 96-year-old Olivia Hooker offered her pearls of wisdom to active Coast Guard officers at the Federal Hall National Memorial on Wednesday. (Kevin Daley/Courtesty Of National Park Service)" title="WOMEN AT WAR: The first African-American admitted to the U.S. Coast Guard, 96-year-old Olivia Hooker offered her pearls of wisdom to active Coast Guard officers at the Federal Hall National Memorial on Wednesday. (Kevin Daley/Courtesty Of National Park Service)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-123236"/></a>
WOMEN AT WAR: The first African-American admitted to the U.S. Coast Guard, 96-year-old Olivia Hooker offered her pearls of wisdom to active Coast Guard officers at the Federal Hall National Memorial on Wednesday. (Kevin Daley/Courtesty Of National Park Service)
NEW YORK—To celebrate Women’s History Month, the National Park Service (NPS) held a free month-long program at the Federal Hall National Memorial every Wednesday throughout March, exploring the diverse roles of American women from different eras.

“Part of the reason why we decided to do a month-long event was that it was impossible to tell the stories of American women in a single day,” said Mindi Rambo, NPS spokeswoman and assistant public affairs officer who is one of the principal organizers of the program.

Wednesday’s program concluded the series with a special “Women at War” program to pay tribute to women’s roles on the home front and in the American Red Cross “clubmobile” during World War II.

“Our objective was to raise awareness of the diverse roles of American women throughout our history. Women helped to influence policy-making, because they were wives, mothers, and daughters. Even though they did not have an official voice, without their efforts our world today would be very different,” said Rambo.

The United Service Organizations (USO) Liberty Bells singer Siri Howard sang the National Anthem during the opening ceremony.

While New York City National Archives showcased documents and photographs from the era, National Park Service ranger Vivien Davis was dressed as an American Red Cross clubmobile worker in England. The clubmobile was a special unit of the American Red Cross that offered a free service “on wheels” for soldiers during World War II.

“The women provided coffee, doughnuts, magazines, and cigarettes to the soldiers. They boosted the morale of the soldiers, because they were women and provided a semblance of home life,” said Davis.

Davis talked with visitors and re-enacted on the front steps of Federal Hall what life was like as a “doughnut dolly” serving coffee and doughnuts to U.S. servicemen.

Various women veterans, as well as active members of the U.S. Army, spoke about their military experiences. Among the speakers was 96-year-old clinical psychologist Olivia Hooker, who in February 1945 became the first African-American woman admitted into the U.S. Coast Guard.

Her pearls of wisdom for the active members of the Coast Guard were to “keep a journal because you cannot remember everything” and to go through the right channel to try to correct an injustice “if you see an injustice.”

Other speakers were from different disciplines of the armed forces. They included Petty Officer 2nd Class Bonnie Lynne Wysocki, who was on a 12-month tour in Iraq from 2009 to 2010, retired All-Army Marathon Coach Lt. Col. Sue Bozgoz, Sgt. Jin Lee of the Marines Corps, and Candice Williams of the U.S. Navy.

Lee spoke about her experiences as an active duty servicewoman, while Bozgoz spoke from the heart about the “challenges of women in the military and being in a man’s world.”

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Re-enactorCrossClubmobile_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Re-enactorCrossClubmobile_medium-258x450.jpg" alt="CLUBMOBILE ENACTOR: Vivian Davis offered a costumed interpretation of the American Red Cross Clubmobile member during the World War II era.  (Kevin Daley/Courtesty Of National Park Service)" title="CLUBMOBILE ENACTOR: Vivian Davis offered a costumed interpretation of the American Red Cross Clubmobile member during the World War II era.  (Kevin Daley/Courtesty Of National Park Service)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-123237"/></a>
CLUBMOBILE ENACTOR: Vivian Davis offered a costumed interpretation of the American Red Cross Clubmobile member during the World War II era.  (Kevin Daley/Courtesty Of National Park Service)
“The challenge is you are a woman. If you are cute, [others think] you must be doing something in order to get that command,” said Bozgoz, who could run two miles in 10 minutes 46 seconds.

Today, the representation of women in the U.S. Army depends on profession. “In medical and personnel fields, there tend to be more women. But in my career field, there are three of us at my base, which is McGuire Air Force base,” said First Lt. April Widman, who works as an aircraft maintenance officer.

It also depends on the location and type of unit. “If it is a ship, you may only have two women on board,” said marine science technician, Petty Officer Heather Clark, whereas in New York City the percentage is higher because “we have the Yeoman School and more land-based positions.”

The percentage of female students at the prestigious U.S. Military Academy at West Point is 20 percent, said Outreach Officer Captain Veronica Finch of the U.S. Army.

Table displays were set up inside the lobby of the Federal Hall to provide information to visitors and guests. Participating divisions included the U.S .Navy, U.S. Marines Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force, United War Veterans Council, USO, and Fordham University‘s Department of Military Science.

Different services also parked display vehicles in front of the Federal Hall. These included the Army’s and the Marines’ H3 Hummers, as well as a boat the Coast Guard uses to attend to buoys and lighthouses.