Honoring the service and sacrifices of women who have worn uniforms of the United States military is the profound goal of a dedicated group of veterans who seek to establish such a monument at Hillsborough County’s Veterans Memorial Park.
Gathering together in person at special events and online under the Facebook banner of Women Veterans Monument – Hillsborough County, this group is beginning the process of bringing to fruition a tribute honoring their sisters-in-arms, from the Revolutionary War to the ongoing missions of today, with a physical presence at Veterans Memorial Park.
A statement released by the group reads: “The most important thing about our project is that Women have served in this nation’s military for 250 years from battlefield followers and nurses in the Revolutionary War to fully integrated members of every branch of military service. Women veterans often believe that their service was ‘just a job’ or unremarkable unless they were the ‘first’ to accomplish a specific feat. This project highlights that every woman who served proudly, whether in a combat role, supporting the war effort or providing medical care, is deserving of recognition. Women veterans remain underrepresented in public commemoration. To help rectify this, Hillsborough County seeks to honor all women who served, regardless of whether their role was glamorous or ‘first,’ ensuring their service, stories and sacrifices are recognized and remembered.”
A monument of gratitude and respect for women veterans in Hillsborough County would be among others throughout the country and state, such as the national Military Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Women Veterans Monuments at Veterans’ Park in Okaloosa County that memorialize eight notable women veterans from throughout America’s history.
Information about the effort to establish a monument to women veterans can be found at the Women Veterans Monument – Hillsborough County Facebook page, which is also a source of information for other events, such as fundraisers, teas and luncheons, as well as topics of interest to women veterans.
The Hillsborough County Veterans Memorial Park and Rear Admiral LeRoy Collins, Jr., Veterans Museum is located at 3602 N. U.S. 301 in Tampa. The park is open daily from 7 a.m.-5 p.m., and the museum is open from Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.