WAUKESHA, Wis. — Veterans Day is a time to recognize the men and women who answered the call to serve. For 91-year-old Helene Brown of Waukesha, it is also an opportunity to make sure women veterans are not overlooked.
Brown has spent years advocating for recognition of women who served in the military, a mission shaped in part by her own experiences.
“Something deep inside her called her to serve her country, for the country she believed to be, so she stepped forward,” Brown said.
Her path into the military was not a traditional one. Brown joined in her 30s and later served as a combat nurse during Operation Desert Storm while in her 50s.
But despite that service, Brown said she has sometimes had to fight to be recognized as a combat veteran.
“They just tend to ignore the women,” Brown said.
Brown was recently honored by the Franklin Veterans of Foreign Wars for her service. She was presented with a quilt from the non-profit Quilts of Honor alongside dozens of other men and women who served in the military.
Her work on behalf of women veterans stretches back decades.
In the 1990s, Brown had the opportunity to help open the Military Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. She has continued advocating for women veterans ever since, including encouraging them to apply for Honor Flights so they have the opportunity to visit the memorials in Washington honoring their service and sacrifice.
“I’m trying to recognize women’s service over the years and what we have done to help protect our country,” Brown said.
For Brown, that mission continues long after her own military service ended. And on Veterans Day, her story serves as a reminder that honoring those who defended the country means recognizing every veteran who stepped forward to serve, including women whose contributions have too often gone unnoticed.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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