JULY 2021 • VOL . 1 • ISSUE 7
•AMPLIFY WOMEN VETERANS•
More than an ideal patriot “I pledge Allegiance…” Celebrating uniformed service and citizenship Women Trailblazers of Military History
CONTENT
37 In every Issue
HER Life
Note from the EditHER
Just HIIT it!
HighlightHER
Celebrate Our Nation This Summer by Planning a Patriotic Vacation
WriteHER Connection ActivateHER
Hastie Hen Farm—From VetHeran to Chicken FarmHer
45
MentHERship
Becoming the Best Patriot (you can be) in 5 Simple Steps More than an ideal patriot
HERstory
Women Trailblazers in Military History A MotHER’s sacrifice for Freedom
WeatHER the Storm: Emergency RuckSack
Follow in her Footsteps— Ten American trailblazers who paved the way for adventurous women
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FreedomSisters Magazine
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65 FoundHER
LeadHERship Triple Threat: Courage, Compassion and Creativity Find out more about the incredible Shannon Huffman Polson, FoundHER of The Grit Institute.
LeadHER
27 HER Next Mission
A LeadHER’s Best Friend Get to know more about the wonderful LeadHER of Leashes of Valor, Danique Masingill.
Inspiring You to take life a step further “I pledge Allegiance…” Celebrating uniformed service and citizenship
Woman Warrior Red, White, and Bluer HER You are made to be a Woman Warrior War Within This Woman
A Lawmaker fights for democracy, liberty, and justice for all.
Pledge allegiance to your core values
The U.S. belongs to us.
Set Free: Hiking Saved Her Life
Patriotism: Pass It On
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More than an ideal By: Cynthia Cline “Transitioning from the military is extremely difficult”. That simple statement echoed repeatedly from the mouths of friends as I shared my decision to separate after serving seven years in the Air Force. Then, they proceeded to explain the identity crisis they went through after transitioning from uniformed member to civilian. A lost purpose, sense of self, and no clear vision for the future. I was petrified of separating but I knew it was time.
Knowing the challenges that lay ahead, I spent over a year preparing my heart for the transition that would come. Now, officially one year from making that transition, I can honestly say that transitioning doesn’t have to be hard. “I wish someone would have told me I didn’t have to sacrifice my identity while serving.” Joanna Sweatt Those who shared their challenges with me suffered a genuine identity crisis after hanging up their uniform.
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Yet, that doesn’t mean you have to. You do not have to sacrifice who you are for the uniform that you wear. You are far more than the rank that you’ve earned. Patriot is part of who you are, but it is not the only thing. I truly believe that the only reason my transition from Captain to Veteran was invigorating was because my identity was not defined by my service.
1. Take care of yourself–When we serve our country, it is extremely easy to buy into the mindset that we must complete the mission at all cost. But when you sacrifice your own spiritual, mental, emotional or physical health, you create more issues for the mission than you resolve.
2. Discover and maintain your own personal interests–You don’t have to change your interests because you serve in the military. Whether you enjoy writing books, knitting, painting, flipping homes, volunteering, etc… make sure you prioritize your own interests.
3. Pursue personal development–We must always continue to grow as individuals. Pursue personal development that extends beyond your position or rank. Even better – tie it into your personal interest or hobby.
5. Define Success—When we allow others to define success, we lose ourselves trying to achieve something we never wanted in the first place. Instead, define what you deem as success. It can be achieving a certain rank, or pursuing jobs regardless of career progression. Whatever it is, hold on to those beliefs as you progress through the ranks.
6. Know your Values–Your belief or value system will impact all facets of your career. When we are so ingrained into a culture such as the military, we can easily be swayed away from our own personal convictions. Instead, define your values and keep them at the forefront of your mind throughout your entire career.
7. Plug into a community that isn’t military– When you surround yourself with people who aren’t associated with the military, you discover that there is more to life than being a warrior. Plug into a church, befriend your neighbors, or join a club, the opportunities are endless. This is the community that remains when it’s time to transition from service member to veteran.
4. Find balance–There will always be work to do. Find the right balance between what has to get down, and what can wait till tomorrow (or even next week). Do not allow work to consume you, because it will.
Always remember, the ideal patriot isn’t your only identity.
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Women making ammunition in WWI. // Public Domain
By: Jacqueline Zappey Some people don’t know that women have been serving in our nation’s military since the American Revolutionary War; women would disguise themselves as men to serve in the war and even led other soldiers into battle. This continued through the Civil War. Women also supported war efforts in other capacities as nurses, cooks, washed clothes and sewed uniforms. During World War I, women continued to serve because of a need for more able bodied military members. Due to a vaguely stated section of the Naval Act of 1916 which outlined who could serve created a loophole allowing women to join the ranks as Yeomen, noncommissioned officers.
Yeomans performed clerical and administrative duties such as filing paperwork, keeping records and sending correspondence.
Around 12,000 women joined the reserve forces to replace men on shore duty so the men could go off to fight on the front lines.
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These women received equal pay to their male counterparts (Women in World War I, n.d.).
In 1917, bilingual women were enlisted to operate switchboards that connected phones. Radios and morse code systems at the time were slow and not user friendly. The women would work for the Signal Corps and were later known as the Hello Girls (Boissoneault, 2017). The Hello Girls were a huge help as they connected millions of calls to help win WWI. They did this by cutting down the time on connecting calls from 60 seconds to around 10 seconds; a staggering 1/6th of the time faster than the men.
Women continued to serve in various capacities in the armed service. On Nov. 23, 1942, during World War II, legislation was approved creating the U.S. Coast Guard Women's Reserve, also known as SPARs. The SPARs were vital in World War II holding various positions as Yeomans, aviation, vehicle drivers, among others (Thomson, n.d.).
After World War I, the Hello Girls were appalled to find that even though they took an oath of enlistment to support and defend the constitution, they were not awarded Veteran status or benefits. It wasn’t until the late 1970’s that President Jimmy Carter retroactively acknowledged the Hello Girls as Veterans. Unfortunately, by this point, only a handful of these women were still alive (Jones & Christenson, 2019).
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Because of my love for the theater, my major in college was in performing arts and English. This eventually, after the war, led to my graduation from the University of Nebraska in 1952. I taught Speech, Theater, and English for 30 years. JZ: What made you decide to join the Coast Guard SPARs? GH: We turn back the clock now for Question 2. During the summer months after my Sophomore year of college. I worked for United Airlines ground crew in Omaha.
Gladys (Lynge) Hughes signs into the Red Cross before going to recruit training at SPAR training station in Brooklyn, New York. (fifth from the left, signing). // Courtesy Photo of Bonnie Hughes. Gladys Hughes, was one of the 10,000 SPARs who served during WWII- a true trailblazer on many fronts. Not only did she serve, but Hughes was also a teacher, mother, author, theater director and beauty pageant Queen for various competitions. In 2012, Ms. Hughes was crowned second runner up in the Ms. Veteran America Competition and still the only WWII veteran to ever compete. JZ: Tell us a bit about yourself (age, family, hobbies, careers, etc.) GH: I was born in Omaha, Nebraska on September 23, 1923.
So that makes me getting close to 98 years old. I had a good home life with my Dad, Mom and two sisters (all deceased). I grew up in Hastings, Nebraska (dust bowl days) and went off to Dana College. There I met Hughie Hughes. Little did I know then that one day he would be my husband. I guess theater would be my hobby. I was constantly performing in plays and enjoying every minute of it.
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I threw airmail bags on the planes, I crawled on top of oil tanks, I worked ground crew jobs when planes landed and I liked my job. It was usually a man’s job but the men were all in the war. Women were hired. Then fall came and I headed back to college as a Junior. I was restless after my summer job. During Christmas vacation I was in Omaha where my parents now lived. I was downtown at the Post Office, saw the SPAR poster, went to the recruiter, listened to him, and signed up. I have always been patriotic and felt good about my decision. My parents were proud of me. Dad was a WWI soldier.
JZ: What was that like serving as one of the first women in the military? JZ: What was basic training like? GH: Basic training was hard work at times. We had hours of classes and studies, hours of marching and drills, hours of peeling potatoes and hours of duties. But I knew why I was there and did my best. JZ: When did you serve and for how long? GH: I served for 14 months. When the atom bomb was dropped on August 6,1945, the war was soon over and I was discharged six months later in March 1946. I signed up for the duration plus six and that is what I served.
GH: Since I entered the service late in the war, I never felt like I was one of the first women in the military. I was just a SPAR serving my country. JZ: How did men perceive women who served during this time? GH: I never felt unequal or was looked upon as unequal with the men. I was treated as a “nurse” despite not having the training nurses have. I worked three weeks day shifts and three week night shifts along with men or women on duty. Our job was to get the seamen well and back to their units as they trained for war duty. JZ: What impact do you believe the SPARS had on the military during WWII? GH: A SPAR’s job was to free a man to fight. That is what we did.
JZ: Where did you serve? GH: Boot camp was at the Manhattan Beach Training Station in Brooklyn, New York. After Boot Camp I was stationed right at that base. I was to be trained as a Medic. I learned so much in a short time and worked there until late in the year. I got married in August (August 5, the day before the atom bomb was dropped). Hughie had just returned from D day in Europe and was stationed in California. I asked to be stationed closer and got my orders—Washington D.C. and stayed until I was discharged from there in March.
FreedomSisters Magazine Gladys and her husband, Hughie Hughes. // Courtesy Photo of Bonnie Hughes.
JZ: How did you find out about the Ms. Veteran America competition? What made you decide to compete? GH: I saw a tiny item about Ms. Veteran America in a WAVES newsletter and I sent for an application. There was no age limit so I filled out the application. I thought it would be nice to meet other Veterans. I did not realize they would all be so young. It is a wonderful experience to be with Ms. Veteran America. JZ: Is there anything else you would like to add to your story? GH: I want to add this to my story. I mentioned marrying Hughie on August 5, 1945. We were married 63 years and had a great life together. He passed away with cancer 12 years ago. Our son Chuck is 74 now. He has a wife and four children, which now enlarges my family with seven great grands. Bonnie, our daughter, is 70 years old, divorced years ago and lives with me and is a great caregiver. We have great times together and do theater work. Covid really slowed down our play schedule. I lost one baby boy, Douglas, who lived three hours. Thanks to women like Gladys, President Harry S. Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act into law on June 12, 1948. This law allowed women to serve as permanent members of all branches of the U.S. military (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1999). This law paved the way for many new women firsts in the military such as women graduating from Army Ranger school and becoming commanding officer of an aircraft carrier. Gladys and other SPARS paved the way for other women to join the service. Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” It is so important to know our armed force's HERstory and honor those who fought hard to ensure women could continue to serve and excel in the military. Reach out to the women who served before to hear and commemorate their stories. FreedomSisters Magazine
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Photo By: Brandon HIll
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By: Kerri Jeter
Are leadHERs born or are they made? For many that lead, it is intrinsic to their natural rhythm and relation to the world at large— those leadHERs make it look effortless. LeadHERship is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could, not persuading people to do things they don’t want to do. Shannon Huffman Polson is an exceptional foundHER who possess many leadHERship qualities.
The only good use of any power a leader has is the responsibility to take care of her people. -Shannon Huffman Polson
However, she shines brightest with courage, compassion and creativity, all of which are essential to her mission at The Grit Institute, which focuses on leadHERship facilitation and consultation with an emphasis on grit and resilience to encourage people through times of challenge and change.
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By: E.V. Moore
A LeadHER’s Best Friend We all know that dogs are referred to as man’s best friend but Danique Masingill is on a mission to elucidate why they are also a “veteran’s best friend”. Masingill is the LeadHER of Leashes of Valor, a non profit organization that was founded in 2017 with the goal of providing trained service dogs to veterans at no-cost to the veteran.
When a veteran loses a limb due to combat related injuries, it is medically covered for the service member to receive adequate medical care and their prosthetic limb as an assistive device through proper medical channels. Masingill sees service dogs the same as a prosthetic limb—a necessary assistive device that can significantly improve the quality of life of an injured service member.
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However, Masingill shared with FS that due to a lack of continuing education in the medical field that service dogs for service members who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma are often denied access to service dogs.
Because of this, veterans and service dogs are matched through a very tedious and intimate process which Masingill equates to dating. Don’t worry, no one is swiping right or left on service members or dogs, nor are any roses handed out in ceremonies.
These matches are incredibly important because for a veteran to have to surrender a service dog is a traumatic experience all in itself— an experience Masingill knows all too well—and the experience that led to the creation of Leashes of Valor.
At Leashes of Valor, service dogs are viewed as an assistive device that allows veterans suffering from trauma a sense of security to reenter the world.
Masingill goes through a painstaking process of understanding the actual lifestyle of the service member so she can personally help match the personality and lifestyle of the veteran with the service dog.
To understand why Masingill had a service dog that she surrendered, it is first important to go back to the beginning and understand Masingill’s own service. After 9/11, Masingill a German National by birth, joined the U.S. Navy as a Master in Arms. During her time in service, she endured severe hardship due to a lack of leadership and military sexual trauma—which had yet to be called out and named for what it was. During her five years of service from 2002–2007, Masingill suffered MST at the hands of seniors in law enforcement. This article is being published on the heels of the proclamation made in June that the chain of command would be removed from investigations regarding MST. However, it is pertinent to this story to recognize that during Masingill’s time in service that the chain of command was directly involved with investigating MST.
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Masingill enjoying a day with her team. Courtesy Photo.
“I pledge Allegiance…” Celebrating uniformed service and citizenship Since the Revolutionary War, legal permanent residents are eligible to enlist in the military. There are approximately 35,000 non-citizens serving on activeduty and about 8,000 who join each year. As a country founded by immigrants hundreds of years ago, thousands flock to the U.S. today seeking political freedom and the opportunity to achieve their goals. America remains a land of opportunities, and because many foreigners from all over the world come to live in the U.S., cultural diversity is cited as one of the country's strengths. The dream of being a U.S. citizen is expedited for military members and at no-cost. Military members like Claudia LaManita, who served as a U.S. Marine from 1987 to 2007 and retired as a gunnery sergeant (E-7)—became a naturalized citizen while serving on active duty.
By Amy Forsythe
LaMantia was born in Guatemala and was brought to the U.S. by her father in 1975. Her dad was studying at Tulane University under a medical visa and returned to Guatemala to get her and two other siblings to flee from the civil war and unrest there. They traveled through Mexico City, then Mazatlán, and eventually crossed the border at Tijuana, near San Diego, before making their way to Los Angeles where LaMantia and her siblings lived with their grandmother and other family members through her teenage years. When President Reagan came into office, many programs were cut and her father lost his visa and they stayed in the U.S. illegally. “My father, step-mother, sister and myself all got jobs at McDonalds and that’s how we got through high school years. I got my green card when I married my first husband.”
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Claudia LaMantia, born in Guatemala, was brought to the U.S. by her father as a young girl in 1975. She enlisted in the Marines in 1987 and obtained her U.S. citizenship in 1994. “I feel extremely blessed and lucky to have served in the U.S. military and to have been allowed to become a citizen just puts me over the top.” Courtesy Photo.
She applied several times for citizenship while on active duty but kept getting deployed which caused delays in her application. LaMantia’s final application went through and she became a citizen in a ceremony in San Diego on Oct. 21, 1994. There was a group of ladies from the Daughters of the Revolution who had small American Flags and gave us each one as they said, “Welcome to America…It was an emotional and memorable day for me.” Becoming naturalized opened many more opportunities in the Marine Corps because it allowed LaMantia to obtain a clearance. “Without that I would not have been able to make a transfer into Public Affairs and continue to get promoted,” said LaManita.
Requirements for U.S. Citizenship: To be eligible for naturalization, you must be a person of good moral character, which CIS will evaluate. The law requires applicants to demonstrate an understanding of the English language, including the ability to read, write, and speak simple words and phrases in the ordinary usage of the English language. Applicants must show that they have a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, principles, and form of government of the United States.
“The biggest transformation is the pride of having the privilege of being a bona fide American and being able to vote. There’s a prestige attached that sometimes is recognized by things like, obtaining a clearance or when you’re in a foreign country and people ask you where you are from,” she added. “I feel extremely blessed and lucky to have served in the U.S. military and to have been allowed to become a citizen just puts me over the top.” LaMantia is a federal employee and currently serves as a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Army’s Public Health Command for the Pacific in Hawaii. FreedomSisters Magazine
According to military research, once non-citizens have joined the military, they are far more likely to complete their enlistment obligations successfully than their U.S.-born counterparts. Veterans are also eligible for expedited citizenship which can help with jobs, benefits and more. Want to know more? click here. We celebrate the patriotism of immigrants who chose to serve and seek the path to citizenship through military service. Their service to this nation is a testament to their commitment and desire to be a part of the fabric of this nation.
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities: There are several rights and responsibilities that natural-born American citizens may not be aware of. Some of these responsibilities are legally required of every citizen, but all are important to ensuring that America remains a free and prosperous nation. Rights Freedom to express yourself. Freedom to worship as you wish. Right to a prompt, fair trial by jury. Right to vote in elections for public officials. Right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship. Right to run for elected office. Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Responsibilities Support and defend the Constitution. Stay informed of the issues affecting your community. Participate in the democratic process. Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws. Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others. Participate in your local community. Pay income and other taxes honestly, and on time, to federal, state, and local authorities. Serve on a jury when called upon. Defend the country if the need should arise.
Claudia LaMantia served for 20 years in the U.S. Marines in places like Japan, California, Hawaii and deployed to the Philippines, Kuwait and Iraq and retired at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, April 15, 2007. Courtesy Photo
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For the Millions of VetHERans who are ready for HER next mission The FreedomSisters Magazine is a monthly publication for Women Veterans and her supporters that showcases the success stories of women who served, information for vetHERans to walk in their purpose and critical takeaways to inspires change through authentic storytelling. Today, in America there are over 2M living Women Veterans who long for community, visibility and connection. VetHERans have been making a lasting difference in national and global communities since the inception of America.
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