The Women’s Military Memorial is the only major national memorial dedicated to the more than 3 million women who have served in the United States military since the Revolutionary War. Created by Congress in 1986 and opened to the public in 1997, its mission is simple, yet profound: To honor, preserve, and share the stories of women who have worn the uniform.
At the helm is retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phyllis Wilson–a woman whose story of service is an impressive one.
Wilson served in the Army for 37 years, but admits she didn’t even know the memorial existed until 2013.
“A friend was having a promotion ceremony there. I was working at the Pentagon–just one metro stop away from Arlington National Cemetery,” she said. “When I walked in, I was blown away. I thought, ‘How did I not know this place was here?’”
Within a month of that first visit, Wilson recorded her own service story in the memorial’s national database. Just a few years later, she was offered the chance to lead the very foundation that operates it.
At first, she wasn’t interested.
“I was happy doing intel work at the Pentagon. People kept on saying I should apply, and I kept saying no.”
Then one day, fate and a grocery store parking lot changed her mind.
Wilson had parked in a veteran parking space when a man challenged her.
“He asked if my husband was with me. I explained that I had served myself for more than a minute. We talked, and I realized–if I were a man, he probably wouldn’t have questioned me. I thought about the millions of women who have served and how invisible so many of us still are. That’s exactly what the memorial is here to change. So, I went home, dusted off my resume, and applied. Be careful what you apply for–you just might get it.”
Wilson’s military journey began with a simple goal: Pay for college. As the first in her family to attend, she signed up and paid for community college classes one or two at a time.
“After a year and a half, I thought, ‘This is going to take forever.’”
Then she heard a radio ad: “Be all that you can be.” The Army promised money for college, a sign-on bonus, and the chance to learn a foreign language.
“I said, ‘Yes, yes, and yes!’ So that’s exactly what I did.”
She trained in Monterey, Calif., learning German and beginning her career as a voice intercept officer. Marriage and children followed, but in the 1980s, being a dual-military family with small children was challenging.
“They didn’t cut you any slack. I had a five-week-old baby when I was sent back out into the field,” Wilson said.
She transitioned to the Army Reserve to study nursing, but returned to active service after being accepted into the Warrant Officer Program.
“Nobody messed with Warrant Officers–they were the technical experts. Best choice I ever made,” she reminisced.
Over the next few decades, she served around the globe, including with the Joint Special Operations Command.
At the Women’s Military Memorial, Wilson’s most rewarding moments are watching families discover their loved ones’ service stories.
“When they see their mother, grandmother, sister, or daughter’s photo and biography appear on a large screen, they nearly gasp. ‘Her story is here forevermore.’ That’s what we do–honor their service so it’s never forgotten.”
Inside the memorial, visitors can see artifacts from the Civil War to today, hear personal accounts, and explore a growing database of women’s stories. Nearly 330,000 are already preserved–but Wilson knows that’s just a fraction of the 3 million who have served, and she’s determined to collect more.
“Whether you served a few years or a few decades, your story matters. Our biggest challenge is that so many women minimize their service. They think, ‘I was just doing my job.’ But when you put all those stories together, they form a mosaic of women’s service to this country.”
For Wilson, that’s the call to action: “We can’t let these stories be forgotten. They’re a part of our national history–and they need to be told.”
