Today we recognize all the brave women who have served our country in the armed services. Though women still don’t serve in combat units during times of war, their immense contribution to military efforts is undeniable.
Women were first enlisted into special branches of the armed services during World War II: the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), the Navy’s Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES), the women’s Coast Guard Reserve (SPAR), Women Marines, and the Air Force’s Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Service (WAFS) and Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP). The success of these branches led to legislation—such as the Army-Navy Nurse Act of 1947 and the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act of 1948—that solidified the permanent inclusion of women in the military.
By the 1970s, the se
parate, all-women components to the branches of the armed forces had been disbanded and women completely integrated into the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard of the United States. Issued in conjunction with the dedication of the Women in Military Service of America Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, this 1997 stamp features five women representing the five branches of the military.
Thank you all for your service.
USPS Stamp of Approval 