Inside Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, there is a tribute to women who have served in the U.S. military. The National Military Women’s Memorial seeks to tell the story of women, past and present, who have shaped history. 

What You Need To Know

  • The National Women’s Memorial aims to record the stories of all women who have served in the U.S. military in their database
  • Through the “Adopt a Woman Veteran” project, volunteers can help turn obituaries and public records into database entries
  • More than three million women have served with the U.S. military, as early as the Revolutionary War

“Even I, who had served for 25 years in the Army, thought I knew about what women had done and were doing in the military,” said Marilla Cushman, who helped found the memorial. “I didn’t scrape the surface.”

Women have served in uniform in both world wars, and worked alongside the military as nurses as far back as the American Revolution. According to the Pentagon, more than three million American women have served in the military dating back to the Revolutionary War -- even if their service was not officially recognized.

“Today, more than 300,000 women are in uniform,” Cushman said. “They are privates to four-star generals... to the most senior enlisted folks in each of our militaries.”

The walls of the memorial document the stories of women such as Sarah Keys Evans, a veteran who refused to give up her seat on the bus during the civil rights movement, and Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle mission.  

“It's gratifying to be able to tell those stories here, when you see young women, young kids come in and you tell them things like that, it's like, ‘Oh, wow,’” Cushman said. 

The Military Women’s Memorial also has a register where it hopes to document the stories of every woman who has served. Database entries include a photo of the veteran, information about where and when she served and a record of any award and documentation she has received. The database currently has more than 308,000 entries, but Cushman wants to see more.  

“Our story will never be complete until all 3 million stories are recorded here,” she said. 

Cushman said she often hears from women who are hesitant to share their stories, especially if they didn’t see combat.  

“It's heartbreaking to know that these women stepped up to make a difference, they raised their right hand and promised to support and defend,” Cushman said. “You know, they're lost to history.”

The memorial is looking for volunteers to help fill in the gaps. They’ve invited all female veterans to register their service, and through a new “Adopt a Woman Veteran” project, volunteers are turning obituaries and public records into database entries. The memorial sends volunteers a packet of information, so they can create a database entry to document a veteran’s story. So far, hundreds of people have taken part.

To sign up, visit their website here.