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100 women veterans honored at Blaine House
October 20, 2011
AUGUSTA – State Rep. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, helped honor one hundred Maine women veterans with First Lady Ann LePage at a ceremony today at the Blaine House. Female veterans from World War II through present day wars in Iraq and Afghanistan attended the event.
“It is an honor to join the First Lady to celebrate the decades of service Maine women have given to our country,” said Valentino, who helped lead the effort to honor Maine women veterans with a plaque in the State House Hall of Flags earlier this year. “We’ve had the opportunity to hear from Maine women veterans from World War II to women currently serving in Afghanistan. It has been a true honor to be part of an effort to give these women proper recognition.”
Valentino and LePage gave the women personal letters and silver commemorative coins in the image of a permanent bronze plaque honoring the female veterans that hangs in the State House Hall of Flags with plaques honoring veterans of World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
“It is an honor to host these brave women here today and to be a part of an effort to ensure that more Maine women veterans are recognized for their service,” said LePage.
There are 10,000 Maine women veterans but no recorded list. Rep. Linda Valentino has been working with Terry Moore, Chair of the Maine Advisory Commission on Women Veterans, and the Bureau of Veterans Affairs to find women veterans and honor them for their service.
Contact:
Jodi Quintero [Valentino], 287-1488, c. 841-6279
Photo: Rep. Valentino with Sgt. Sassman of the Maine Army National Guard, a 2007 graduate of Thornton Academy, at an event honoring Maine women veterans.”