Category History
SIX WOMEN VETERANS TO RECEIVE CALVET’S TRAILBLAZER AWARDS
These remarkable individuals are veterans themselves, dedicated to championing the cause of fellow veterans, with a special focus on women who have served. They are resilient women who have transitioned from military service to civilian life, achieving personal success, and actively assisting others on their journey to do the same. They are the California Department […]
A SIGNATURE MOMENT FOR WOMEN IN THE ARMED FORCES
President Harry S. Truman changed the American military forever with the stroke of a pen on June 12, 1948. The Women’s Armed Services Integration Act enabled women for the first time to become permanent members of the United States Armed Forces and its Reserve components; ultimately enabling them to merit veteran status as well as […]
GI FILM FESTIVAL’S ‘THE GIFT’ IS A STORY FOR THE AGES
A Marine – who gave his own life so others could live. A Marine – who not only saved lives in 2004 but continues to impact them today. A Marine – who became a gift to so many people and in so many ways. “The Gift” – among the most powerful of the 31 films […]
MISSING IN ACTION BUT ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS: THE SEARCH CONTINUES
As Memorial Day approaches, families will plan to gather at consecrated grounds— such as Arlington National Military Cemetery in Virginia. In California, they will visit any one of the 14 national or military cemeteries up and down the state, including CalVet’s cemeteries at Igo, Yountville, and Seaside. It is the day each year where we […]
MAY A MONTH OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THREE-WAR VET AT REDDING HOME
May is a month of remembrances for 96-year-old U.S. Navy veteran Don Windle. On May 5, 1944, the Navy launched his ship, the USS Aaron Ward (DM-34), a destroyer minelayer commissioned in October of that year. On May 3, 1945, two days shy of a year of its launching and during its first and only […]
80 YEARS AGO, MARINE PILOT SHOT DOWN SEVEN JAPANESE PLANES IN ONE DAY, EARNED MEDAL OF HONOR
CalVet’s Medal of Honor Wall includes 177 names of soldiers, sailors, and Marines, either from California or with California ties, who received the nation’s highest honor for heroism and valor. Each recipient and the circumstances that led to awarding the honor is a story in its own right. This time, we tell the story of […]
YES, TEACHER, GRANDMA REALLY WAS A SOLDIER, SPY, GUERILLA, AND SILVER STAR RECIPIENT
As the story goes, when Corporal Magdalena “Maggie” Leones’ granddaughter wrote a report about her grandma for a school assignment, the teacher simply didn’t believe it. Believe what? Or, was the girl simply a grandchild with an overactive imagination? Prove it, the teacher told her. Prove it, Maggie’s granddaughter did. She brought the Silver Star […]
PATRICIA JACKSON KELLEY: MAKING HISTORY EVERY DAY FOR DECADES
At a recent veterans event in Los Angeles, a woman approached Patricia Jackson Kelley and offered words of appreciation. “I don’t know if you are aware of the difference you made in my life,” the woman told her, referring to a moment that occurred roughly two decades ago, when Kelley worked as a program coordinator […]
GLIDING INTO 2023, 70 YEARS TO THE DAY MILITARY GLIDERS SAILED OFF INTO RETIREMENT
As we glide into 2023, we pay tribute to the military glider – one of America’s silent weapons of World War II – that was removed from the U.S. Army’s air fleet on this day 70 years ago. Gliders were lightweight, engineless airplanes towed by cables into the skies by much bigger, motored aircraft, then […]
WHEN THEY CELEBRATED HANUKKAH, OTHER JEWISH HOLIDAYS IN SADDAM’S OLD DIGS
Shortly after U.S. troops captured Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in December 2003, a Jewish-American woman serving in the U.S. military received a care package from home. It included a menorah, candles, and a “Happy Hanukkah” card. That she received it isn’t unusual. Military personnel frequently receive packages from family members or friends in time for […]
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