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WOMEN VETERANS MEET IN BRANSON -- Third
Women Veterans Week is likely to attract
more than 500 veterans to Branson.
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Women veterans meet in Branson
Third Women Veterans Week is likely to attract more than 500 veterans to
Branson.
Kathryn Buckstaff
News-Leader
Branson — Hundreds of women veterans will be in Branson this week to
find the support and recognition that they rarely receive, said a member
of the Women Veterans Committee.
This third Women Veterans Week is expected to attract more than 500
veterans. And, for the first time, two organizations have planned their
annual conferences to coincide with the event, said Mary Slivka,
chairwoman of the Women's Veterans Committee of the Branson Veterans
Task Force. The U.S. Army Women's Foundation Reunion will be in Branson,
and the National Association of State Women Veterans Coordinators will
hold its eighth annual conference here.
More than 1.7 million women have served voluntarily in the armed forces.
More than 35,000 of them are from Missouri, said Slivka, who was a Navy
corpsman third class from 1965 to 1968.
"It's wonderful to be able to interact with sister veterans," said
Pamela Luce. She is the Woman Veterans Coordinator for the state of
Kentucky, and secretary of the national association.
Equal Rights
Luce, 42, retired in 2003 at the rank of first sergeant after 21 years
in the Army. She was a military police officer, a drill sergeant and a
master jumpmaster. She's also a single mother of two daughters.
Like many other women veterans, she had little support when she left the
service. Many women don't know about the benefits to which they are
entitled, or don't know how to get them, Luce said.
"When you get out, they don't hand you a piece of paper saying, 'When
you get to your state, here's the person who can help you,'" Luce said.
The association and the state coordinators created a network in each
state to reach out to women veterans.
"Women tend to be very humble about their service," Luce said. "They
tend not to realize they are veterans. 'Oh, I was just a nurse in
Vietnam.' I can't tell how many times I hear that."
They also work with the Veterans Administration to ensure that women are
offered what they need. Equal health care for women veterans is a big
issue, Luce said. The availability of gynecologists, for example, has
been a problem.
But the situation is gradually improving, she said.
"Finally, in a lot of places, a woman can get full health care from the
veterans on a par with a man," Luce said.
But new issues are arising for women veterans returning from Iraq and
the Middle East, she said. When women have burn or amputation injuries,
they also need help learning about cosmetics and the psychological
trauma of what may be a disfiguring injury, she said.
The organization also focuses on social support.
"When most male veterans come back, they come to a household with a
spouse, or they have a mom for social support," Luce said. "When women
come back, the spouse or grandma or whoever's been taking care of the
children says, 'Here. Here's everything you used to do.' She's expected
to leap instantly back into her role as a caregiver, and nobody's taking
care of her needs."
Paying tribute
Among those paying tribute to the veterans will be actress and recording
artist Connie Stevens, who has received awards for her support of
veterans.
As a filmmaker, Stevens produced and directed "A Healing," an
award-winning documentary dedicated to women who served in Vietnam. It
follows a 1995 three-week reunion journey through Vietnam of 100 women
who served in the conflict.
Stevens will attend various events and speak at Saturday's banquet.
Headquarters is at the Settle Inn. Organized events include a miniature
golf tournament and visits to music shows and other attractions. Several
local businesses are offering free or reduced admissions for the
veterans.
The public is welcome at the various events to meet the veterans, said
Barb Riggle, a retired Air Force master sergeant who served for 25
years.
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Larry Scott --
