Woman
in the Wings / March 2006
Woman in the Wings is a monthly feature about a woman who lives her life not in the spotlight, but behind the scenes, where the applause never seems to reach. Women in the Wings shine as brightly as any star; they just don’t take center stage. Meet a woman who illuminates her life with the burning light of patriotism.
Salute to Service
 Mary Byrd
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By Pat Lawrence
When Mary Byrd told her father in 1972 she had enlisted in the Air Force, his eyes filled with tears. What he said that day remains an inspiration and an incentive for her life. “He said ‘We live in a country that is free but someone has to pay the bill for that freedom. I’m very proud that you’re willing to pay your part of that bill'." Today, Mary says, “I am committed to honoring everyone that is willing to pay that bill for me.”
Mary is the Commander of the newest chapter of the Women Veterans of America, Post 24 in Nitro. The Women Veterans of America serves as a national advocate for women veterans rights, benefits and issues. Formed in 1990 by four women veterans at the Brooklyn VA when the Gulf War was eminent, the group believed bringing some of their difficulties to the attention of the Veterans Administration would help other returning women veterans. According to Mary, the group is especially concerned with “appropriate medical and heath care for women veterans, including issues like privacy, mammograms and Pap smears and personal hygiene kits.” To ensure the best possible care for women veterans, they support therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and sexual harassment or assault as well as transitioning from military to civilian life.
Mary says the ten members of the year-old Post 24 are available to provide information and support to women veterans, help them obtain VA benefits or be liaisons to government agencies. “We also want to focus on education and public awareness of the contributions of women in the service. We’d like to be an educational resource spreading the word about women veterans, talking to high school students and community groups.”
She has plenty to tell. Over 400,000 women in uniform participated in WWII, about 120,000 served during the Korean conflict and seven thousand were deployed during Viet Nam. For Desert Storm, over forty thousand women, seven per cent of the total U.S. forces deployed were women. Women have served and been decorated for valor in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. More than 25% of today’s military are women.
But Mary’s commitment extends to all veterans. She has been Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9248 since 2000. “My father was in WWII, my father-in-law served in Korea and Viet Nam, my husband is a veteran of the Air Force and served in Turkey, my son is a veteran of Iraq. I feel so privileged to be part of the VFW organization.” Mary earned her membership with four years in the Air Force, including a year in South Korea.
Nationally, the VFW has 2.4 million members in over 9,000 Posts worldwide supporting veterans and performing valuable community services. The VFW organization was initiated by veterans of the Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection at the turn of the 19th century to secure rights and benefits for their service. The group was instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, creating a GI bill for the 20th century, the development of the national cemetery system and the fight for compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. The VFW has fought for improved VA medical center services for women veterans. Its members helped fund the creation of the Vietnam, Korean War, World War II and Women in Military Service memorials.
Mary is equally proud of contributions by the fifty members of Post 9248 to the area. “They donate money, time and effort to a variety of local projects. They are also committed to building a WWII memorial in Nitro.” Mary served on the commission that created the WWI Museum in Nitro which commemorates the community’s legacy as a munitions site and presents military history exhibits.
With a degree in business management and in occupational development, Mary implements work processes at Union Carbide, a subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company. She says the job is similar to what she was responsible for at the Air Force Strategic Air Command base in Nebraska.
She’s also an EMT and serves on the Dow emergency squad, responding to site emergencies. As a member of the Dow Activities team, she enjoys participating in the company’s public appearances “in floats and parades!”
Mary recruits and helps new members of both veterans organizations, raises money for individuals who need assistance and is active in fund raising for community activities that veterans support. Patriotism is a constant thread in the fabric of her life. Helping veterans, working with veterans, and appreciating veterans is how she honors them and the nation they defended. It is the way Mary continues to pay her part of the bill for freedom.
For more information, call 304-755-9440 or email byrdnitro@aol.com
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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