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'Remember the Ladies'

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kali L. Gradishar
  • 92nd ARW Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  On March 31, 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John, as he was aiding in the establishment of the Declaration of Independence. She wrote, "In the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors." 

From those who came before Mrs. Adams' time to those who have most recently made their mark on the world, there are innumerable women who deserve to be remembered this March in celebration of Women's History Month. 

To the ladies who formed the rebellion, disparaged the gender limitations, bashed through both gender and race barriers, and fought and lost, then fought and lost, but never gave up so that future generations of women could enjoy the freedoms that men had: You are remembered. 

We live in a nation based on the right to freedom and opportunity. Those before us have made exceptional sacrifices to gain and preserve those rights. As a tribute to Women's History Month, let's take a closer look at some brave women who have driven forward into a land of male-dominated career fields and key events in history that changed the perspective of a woman's role in society. 

Susan B. Anthony opened doors for future generations of women as a leader in the 19th century women's rights movement. She campaigned for the abolition of slavery and aided in the establishment of various women's organizations. She fought for black and women's voting rights, equal pay for equal work and equal educational opportunities. 

Charlotte Ray tackled a race and gender barrier when she became the first African-American woman lawyer and the first woman in the District of Columbia to be admitted to the bar in January 1850. 

Jackie Mitchell set the stage for women in sports in the spring of 1931 as one of the first women to play minor league baseball. She was signed on as a pitcher to the Southern Association's Chattanooga Lookouts. The New York Yankees stopped in Chattanooga for an exhibition game during which Mitchell struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Not long after, the baseball commissioner voided her contract. 

Esther Blake became the first woman in the United States Air Force when she signed up for duty within the first minute that women were authorized to join on July 8, 1948. 

Military women played a significant role during the Vietnam War. They could be in one of three organizations: the Air Force Nurse Corps, Bio-medical Science Corps or Women in the Air Force. During the war, these women were ready and willing to do what was required of them and more. They readily volunteered to aid the mission by assisting with medical care, aero-medical evacuations, and support to wounded troops. 

In 1973, retired Maj. Gen. Lorraine Potter, then a captain, became the first female chaplain in the United States Air Force after a federal law that prohibited women from applying for chaplaincy changed. She was the first female chief of chaplains as the Air Force Chief of Chaplains at the Pentagon, and retired after 31 years served. 

These women and countless others have fought through adversity so that future generations may enjoy the freedoms and privileges to which they may not have been accustomed. 

(Information from the Massachusetts Historical Society, Vietnam Women's Memorial, Susan B. Anthony House, Cannon and Maxwell Air Force Bases, and Exploratorium Web sites was used in this story.)