Honor, Remember, Reflect

(Above) A large group gathered at Clear Lake Cemetery Monday morning to participate in Memorial Day services.

[caption id="attachment_69802" align="alignleft" width="300"] Members of the V.F.W. Post 4869 Honor Guard assembled a Battlefield Cross as Officer of the Day Steve Merrill explained its meaning. The cross is made up of the soldier’s rifle stuck into the ground or into the soldier’s boots, with helmet on top. Dog tags are sometimes placed on the rifle, and the boots of the dead soldier can be placed next to the rifle. While it is used less today as a means of identification, it still serves as a method of mourning among the living. -Reporter photos by Chris Barragy.[/caption]

by Marianne Gasaway

Memorial Day is the time to honor, remember and reflect upon the service of all who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, but the guest speaker at Monday’s local service highlighted the service of a group which are sometimes overlooked.

Dr. Charlene Gooch, a United States military veteran of the Vietnam Era, told a large crowd gathered at Clear Lake Cemetery about the Military Women’s Memorial (also known as the Women in Military Service Memorial) at Arlington National Cemetery. Gooch serves as an ambassador for the only memorial to honor the more than 3 million women who served the country since the American Revolution.

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“There were many steps, tasks and setbacks, but they persevered,” Gooch said.  

The monument was dedicated and opened in October 1997, 11 years after President Ronald Reagan signed into law a bill that authorized its establishment on federal land.

Gooch painted a mental picture of the gray granite monument, sharing that an arc of glass tablets is etched with quotations by and about military women, which act as skylights running the entire length of the exhibit gallery. As the sun passes overhead, the quotations reflect down onto the gallery walls inside the Memorial.  A Court of Valor features a reflecting pool and a 200-jet fountain represents the sound of women’s voices. The upper terrace features views of the Washington Monument and Arlington National Cemetery, as well as the Memorial’s signature arc of glass tablets.

Most importantly, the memorial features a Register, where visitors are offered a unique look at some of the individual stories that make up the collective history of women’s service.

Gooch’s name and information appears on the Register, highlighting her service as both enlisted and officer.   As one of the first to register, she is considered a charter member.  She was stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., working as a nurse at Walter Reed Hospital.  At that time she also served as an assistant to the president of the Memorial Foundation and as a docent in the Memorial, giving tours to visitors.  She continued her service, after Officer’s Training at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, at Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.

“The Register (gives women) their rightful and visible place in history,” said Gooch.  “But while over 3 million women have served, only 300,000 have registered.  We have a lot of work to do.”

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