Governor Abbott Proclaims March 2023 As Women Veterans Month
Ours is indeed “the land of the free” and “the home of the brave,” and were it not for our brave men and women in uniform, our precious freedoms would have perished long ago. Time and again, our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen have leapt to the defense of liberty, justice, and the American Way, and by so doing, they have protected the world from despotic monarchs, totalitarian dictatorships, repressive ideologies, and merciless terrorists.
The ideals for which our nation stands are universal, and it is unsurprising that Americans from every walk of life have answered the call to service. For nearly a quarter millennium, our troops have protected America’s interests at home and abroad, both in peacetime and in wartime. Many of these great Americans were women, and as members of a grateful society, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the significant role that women have played in our armed forces.
In World War I, American women voyaged to Europe en masse and served as nurses and telephone operators in the most significant conflict mankind had yet known. A generation later, women took on additional responsibilities within the armed forces in every theater of World War II, and in subsequent conflicts, women have been seamlessly integrated into virtually every aspect of the military. Women have distinguished themselves in every branch, and at present, females constitute approximately 17 percent of our nation’s active-duty military personnel.
These proud daughters of America embody many of the traits that set our people apart: valor, sacrifice, a sense of duty, and a commitment to a higher purpose. We therefore owe them our utmost appreciation and our unconditional support. Furthermore, many such women gave the last full measure of devotion in order to ensure our nation’s survival. The duty now falls on us, the living, to preserve the memory of the fallen, who themselves kept alive the flame of American democracy.
Each year, a month is set aside in order to honor our brave female veterans. The purpose of this observance is twofold: to celebrate the women who have served our nation and to rededicate ourselves to the timeless ideals for which they valiantly fought. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid in full, but we must nevertheless strive to honor all of our veterans in thought, word, and deed—men and women alike.
At this time, I join a grateful nation in saluting our women veterans, and I encourage all Texans to do likewise and support them by any means possible.
Therefore, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim March 2023 to be Women Veterans Month in Texas and urge the appropriate recognition whereof.
In official recognition whereof, I hereby affix my signature this 1st day of March, 2023.
GREG ABBOTT
Governor of Texas