Honoring Women in Service

Editor's note: This column originally appeared in The Wilkes Record in August 2018

It’s been a great week in production. For several months we have been working on a special we have titled “Honoring Women in Service.” Several of the women that are included in our interviews were attending the American Legion World Series in Shelby.

Upon realizing that there was a gathering that included so many of these incredible women we booked the historic Bankers House in Shelby as a venue for the interviews. Before long we had fully scheduled three days.
I have conducted a lot of interviews over the years, and I remember many of them. However, I am confident that I will not forget the significance of the interviews with these women who have served our nation.

Denise Rohan served in the U.S. Army and had the distinction of being the first female National Commander of the American Legion (2017-2018). The American Legion was founded March 15, 1919 and is the largest veteran’s organization in the United States with more than two million members.
Patricia A. Harris, a US Army Persian Gulf Combat veteran. She was the first female commander at North Carolina’s American Legion Post 157, and she became the first female department commander in North Carolina (2013-2014).

It was during her campaign to become the department commander that she discovered the beauty and charm of her own state. The time was right, and while it was a close race, she did become the first female and the first African American to be elected as NC department commander. While her WWII veteran father did not live to see that day, her mother who is now in her late 90’s did.

Carol Barker is a retired Air Force combat veteran who has a history of taking care of others. Her stories are profoundly moving, and she speaks openly about the complications of war that she witnessed and experienced. She served as the American Legion North Carolina department commander 2017-2018. Her willingness to talk candidly about living with PTSD and other issues faced by women and men in service will surely inspire hope for many.

Queen Williams served in the US Airforce. Her story is one of inspiration. It would be a path opened by her hard work and dedication in the ROTC. At first, she was going to enlist, however for some reason she did not qualify. The ROTC did have a place for her, and as it turned out, it was the perfect fit for her to excel. She would go on to have a successful military career, and upon retirement, she would return to the ROTC to instruct and inspire others.

These are but of a few of the inspiring women we have interviewed, and I can already tell you that the richness of the stories is profound. We have talked with women who are now part of American history. The primary objective of this programming is to honor Women in Service and allow their voices to be heard.

We seldom have enough broadcast minutes to share every point. However, we will work hard to weave together the common threads of these most worthy stories.

I look forward to watching these stories come together and then sharing them with the everyone.

May we all remain grateful for those who serve our nation.