I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1988 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to direct the President to issue 

an annual proclamation establishing Women’s Military History Day. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 17, 2021 

Ms. STEFANIK (for herself and Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 

A BILL 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to direct the President to issue an annual proclamation establishing Women’s Military History Day. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Women’s Military His5 tory Day Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find8 ings: 

9 (1) On March 21, 1917, Loretta Perfectus 

10 Walsh became the first woman in United States hisVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:45 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1988.IH H1988

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1 tory to officially enlist in any military service when 

2 she joined the United States Navy in the month that 

3 would later be designated Women’s History Month. 

4 (2) Women have served in the United States 

5 Armed Forces since the Revolutionary War, initially 

6 serving in support roles as nurses, seamstresses, and 

7 cooks for troops. 

8 (3) Valiant women have served selflessly along9 side men during every conflict involving the United 

10 States, and have suffered the same hardships, often 

11 without the benefit of military rank or compensa12 tion. 

13 (4) Pioneering women have served as trail14 blazers, inspiring generations of American women to 

15 follow in their footsteps by answering the call to 

16 serve. 

17 (5) On January 21, 1918, Myrtle Hazard be18 came the first woman to officially take the oath of 

19 enlistment for the United States Coast Guard, join20 ing twin sisters, Genevieve and Lucille Baker. 

21 (6) On August 13, 1918, Opha May Johnson 

22 joined the United States Marine Corps before she, or 

23 any woman, was permitted to vote. 

24 (7) On July 8, 1948, Esther McGowin Blake, 

25 having already joined the Army Air Forces in 1944, 


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1 enlisted in the active duty United States Air Force, 

2 and served beside her two sons. 

3 (8) Deborah Sampson was, by scholarly con4 sensus, the first woman to serve in the United 

5 States Army, when she disguised herself as a man 

6 to join the Continental Army, in which she served 

7 until 1783. 

8 (9) In 2015, Department of Defense formally 

9 announced women could serve in direct combat roles 

10 and join combat arms professions. 

11 (10) Army Captains Shaye Haver and Kristen 

12 Griest were the first females to graduate the United 

13 States Army’s Ranger School, and Sergeant First 

14 Class Amanda Kelley was the first enlisted female to 

15 do so. 

16 (11) There are nearly 2,000,000 living female 

17 veterans of the United States Armed Forces who 

18 represent approximately 10 percent of the overall 

19 veteran population. 

20 (12) The United States holds these iconic 

21 women, and every woman who has served in the 

22 United States military, in the highest regard for 

23 their courage and bravery. 


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1 (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to en2 courage the nationwide observance of ‘‘Women’s Military 

3 History Day’’ on a day in the month of March. 

4 SEC. 3. OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN’S MILITARY HISTORY DAY. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.— Chapter 1 of title 36, United 

6 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol7 lowing new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 146. Women’s military history day 

9 ‘‘The President shall issue each year a proclamation 

10 calling on the people of the United States to— 

11 ‘‘(1) celebrate the bold women who have served 

12 in the United States military throughout history; 

13 ‘‘(2) highlight trailblazing women in the mili14 tary and their achievements; 

15 ‘‘(3) commemorate the selfless service of women 

16 in every American military conflict; and 

17 ‘‘(4) observe such Women’s Military History 

18 Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.’’. 

19 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

20 at the beginning of chapter 1 of such title is amended by 

21 adding after the item relating to section 145 the following 

22 new item: 

‘‘146. Women’s military history day.’’. 

Æ 


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