Governor Stein Proclaims Women Veterans Day

Women Veterans Day

2026

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, women in North Carolina have been involved in military-related activities since the Revolutionary War; since June 12, 1948, women have been officially allowed to serve in the U.S. military and now serve as regular and permanent members of the armed forces in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force; and

Whereas, women began serving with the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 and the Navy Nurse Corps in 1908; during World War I, women such as Anna Maria Gove, a physician and faculty member at what is now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, left their domestic duties to serve in Europe in 1917 and 1918; and

Whereas, during World War II, the role of women in the military expanded to include women serving in additional jobs including stenographers, clerks, cooks, telephone operators, mechanics, draftsmen, interpreters, and weather observers; and

Whereas, more than 50 members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS), the first women to fly American military aircraft, trained at Camp Davis in Onslow County, transporting every type of military aircraft and cargo; they logged more than 60 million miles in the air and lost 38 members during the war; and 

Whereas, in 2025 Governor Stein appointed a Woman Veteran, Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette, to serve as Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs; and 

Whereas, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, women make up the fastest-growing demographic of Veterans in the United States; per the Veterans Affairs Women’s Healthcare System, there are more than 2.1 million Women Veterans in the United States, and by 2040 Women Veterans will make up 18 percent of the Veteran population; and 

Whereas, for many years, women in our military were largely invisible and underappreciated; we owe deep gratitude to our current and past servicewomen who have selflessly served to protect our nation and our way of life; and

Whereas, Women Veterans Day helps educate the public about the sacrifices by women who served in the military and raises awareness about their contributions to the United States Armed Forces; and 

Whereas, North Carolina celebrates the achievements of Women Veterans by honoring the dedication of women who break barriers while also highlighting their courage and resilience, which will inspire future generations of women to serve and lead in the military;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim June 12, 2026, as “Women Veterans Day” in North Carolina and commend its observance to all residents.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-sixth day of May in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-sixth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.