CHICAGO (Feb. 25, 2020) – Honor Flight Chicago, Daughters of the American Revolution, Illinois Joining Forces, and other leading veterans groups today launched Operation HerStory, an initiative dedicated to highlighting the vital contributions of women veterans. The group’s inaugural effort will be an all-female, all-expense-paid, specialty flight to Washington, D.C., for women veterans to visit the national war memorials built in their honor.
The landmark flight is slated for Oct. 7, 2020. Any woman veteran who served on active duty in any branch of the military during WWII, the Korean War or the Vietnam War era, or between the years of 1940 and 1975, is eligible. Applicants do not need to be combat veterans or to have served overseas.
“Women veterans have stood in the shadows behind their male counterparts for too long,” said retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ginny Narsete, a Vietnam veteran and recent chief of staff of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, who is spearheading Operation HerStory. “We will not rest until every eligible woman veteran in the Chicagoland area and throughout the state of Illinois has been invited to participate in her well-earned and long-overdue day of honor.
According to the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, there are approximately 7,500 women veterans currently living in the state who served in the active duty military between 1940 and 1975. Among these, it’s estimated that fewer than 3 percent have to-date flown to Washington, D.C., with an Illinois Honor Flight hub.
“In talking to women veterans, there are recurring themes as to why many haven’t taken advantage of their opportunity to fly,” said Gen. Stephen Curda, executive director of Illinois Joining Forces. “Too often, our more senior women veterans don’t recognize the significance of their military service or view themselves to be as deserving as their male counterparts. Many have willingly relinquished their earned spots on a flight to ensure a man would have the opportunity to receive his day of honor.”
“Among the more than 8,700 World War II, Korean War and Vietnam-era heroes we’ve flown to Washington, D.C., over the past 12 years, there’s no question a disproportionate number have been men,” said John Ptak, president of Honor Flight Chicago. “We welcome this opportunity to create a flight specifically for our women veterans and to provide these heroes with the recognition and camaraderie of fellow sisters-in-arms they so richly deserve.”
The one-day Operation HerStory trip will depart from Midway Airport early in the morning on Oct. 7, arriving in Washington, D.C., on a chartered flight. In our nation’s capital, women veterans will travel on comfortable coach buses to significant stops including the Women’s Memorial, WAC museum and Vietnam Women’s Memorial. After a whirlwind day of recognition and remembrance, the heroes will be welcomed home to Midway by a cheering crowd of friends, family and community supporters.
Having already given so much through their service to our country, travelling veterans will not pay anything toward their day of honor. All costs associated with the trip, including airfare to and from Washington, D.C., will be covered by donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, schools, military organizations and other interested groups.
For additional information, visit www.OperationHerStory.org. Those interested in nominating themselves or a loved-one for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, or making a donation to support Operation HerStory’s mission, can do so via the website, by emailing info@operationherstory.org, or calling 513-813-7808. Donation checks or money orders, noting Operation HerStory in the memo line, can also be mailed to Illinois Joining Forces, 1 W. Monroe St., 4th floor, Chicago, Ill. 60603.
Groups supporting Operation HerStory include Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Illinois Joining Forces, Honor Flight Chicago, Pritzker Military Museum & Library, Women in Military Service for America Memorial, National Women Veterans United, Chicago Veterans, Federal Executive Board, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Allen J. Lynch Medal of Honor Veterans Foundation, U.S. Army Reserve, U.S. Navy Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service, Union League Club of Chicago, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Illinois’ VA Medical Centers.
About Honor Flight Chicago
Honor Flight Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing the service and sacrifice of America’s senior war veterans by providing all-expense paid trips for these heroes to visit the Washington, D.C., memorials built in their honor. Founded in 2008, Honor Flight Chicago is the largest hub in the national Honor Flight Network and has flown more veterans than any other hub in the country.
About Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)
The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children. DAR members volunteer millions of service hours annually in their local communities including supporting active duty military personnel and assisting veteran patients, awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships and financial aid each year to students, and supporting schools for underserved children with annual donations exceeding one million dollars. As one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country, DAR boasts 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the United States and internationally. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership.
About Illinois Joining Forces
Illinois Joining Forces (IJF) was launched in 2012, through a inter-governmental agreement between the Illinois Departments of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) and Military Affairs (IDMA) as a statewide, public-private network of military and veteran serving organizations working together to improve access to services for Service Members, Veterans and their Families (SMVF). IJF team members collaborate in person and online to help SMVF identify and marshal resources and services available to them throughout the state. In particular, IJF focuses on identifying the specific needs of its constituents and provides referral follow-up and feedback to both the veteran service organization and SMVF. Illinois Joining Forces is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.