Leda Zoroghlian Patrick, veteran, and participant in the I Am Not Invisible campaign at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum supports Women's History Month and as part of that effort, the museum is displaying a select set of banners in its windows to honor women veterans who participated in the I Am Not Invisible (IANI) campaign.
A number of these veterans participated in the oral history interview component of the I Am Not Invisible campaign. Below are some actual quotes from those veteran interviews. Please click the veteran's image to play the quote or watch the complete interview.
The I Am Not Invisible (IANI) awareness campaign began as a program featuring twenty photographs of Oregon women who were military veterans. Now a nationwide program, the IANI campaign aims to raise awareness and spark dialogue about the role of women veterans. By spotlighting the many faces of this diverse and important segment of the veteran community, I Am Not Invisible exhibits across the country aim to increase awareness and dialogue about women veterans, as well as open viewers eyes to the myriad levels of expertise among them.
West window:
INTERVIEWER: So when you talk to others about your military service or about potentially joining the military, what would be the one thing you would have to say about it?
ZOROGHLIAN PATRICK: It's going to be the best time of your life. This, this-- When some people say to me, "Thank you for your service." I says, "Oh no." I says, "It was the best time of my life." I says, "I did it not only with passion, but with a lot of love. That was my duty to do so. Thank you for existing so I could have had that time." Almost having said that.
SINGER: But I think if they would say, "Wow, you know, that's really impressive that you chose to represent America" or, you know, something for the greater good. I think I don't know if you can put that in a soundbite, you know, like four words or less. But I like when somebody says, "You know, I could never join the military." That to me makes me feel much more proud than if someone were to say "Thank you for your service." Because to me, they're trying to build a connection with me based on trying to find a middle ground. Even though they can't fathom joining the military, they still took the time to say something. But it's more out of curiosity, not out of negativity so.
INTERVIEWER: During your Reserve time, any other deployments that you made?
NEAL: Just Enduring Freedom. So, Operation Enduring Freedom, that was in, uh, that was 9--- 2003. February of 2003. So, Greg and I were married and had kids-- well, had our daughter by then. So, when we got our orders in February of 2003 that we would be going active duty for a year, it was a lot to swallow. So, we were living here. We turned off the utilities. I covered all the furniture. Um, we had to make out wills for each of us. We had to have a care plan. And a care plan is when you have two dual military couple, what's going to happen to your children. So, we gave all legal custody to my parents of our daughter. She was two at the time and she moved in with them. And then when we left, I think it was like, the 27th of February, went up to Fort McCoy. We were supposed to be in Fort McCoy for like, six weeks. Just receiving all of our equipment, inventorying it, battle packing it, and then sending it overseas to where we were going to be stationed. All of that happened, took a lot longer than six weeks, though. But then as soon as our equipment made it over, it was shipped over to Turkey to sit on the Turkey-Iraqi border.
INTERVIEWER: What do you think about being a veteran? What? I mean, what? When someone says that to you. What? What? What goes through your mind?
RAMIREZ: Well, pride is a big thing. I'm--I'm extremely proud of being a U.S. Navy veteran. Um, you know, it is part of my identity of--my my, my experience of being an adult, like, my first experiences of being a legal adult is being a U.S. Navy sailor. And so my experience, and in the Navy formed me, almost like the foundations of who I am as an adult. And I'll always be proud of my work and what I've done.
DEAN: I am so proud to be an American. I'm so proud to be a veteran that signed my name on that line to fight for this country. And I feel like that's what all of our service does, is, you know, that all stuff in the [inaudible] whatever. I'm proud to be an American. I'm proud to served for this country. That's what that gives you.
East window:
INTERVIEWER: But so, reflecting on your term of service with the National Guard, and also if you want also your service as a veteran here, now, what does that mean for you in the present? What is most meaningful to you about it?
FAUSTER: [Sighs] Wow. For me. Most meaningful, God, being able to continue to serve as a veteran, knowing that I'm still part of something greater than myself. When I was serving in the Guard. And that I learned during basic training. Being a part of something greater. There's something very personally satisfying about that. That we're all there for one of each other, and whether you're serving in the Guard or whatever branch, and later on as a veteran. I think that's huge.
INTERVIEWER: Up until this point, how do you think being in the military has changed your life?
THOMSEN: [Sighs] Well, there are a lot of times that I would like to look back on it and being like, man, that was kind of a pain in the butt. [laughs] But I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for the military. I am a first-generation college student and then I went on to graduate school. Like, for my family, that's unheard of. My parents both work in a factory and they provided us a really good life. But I knew that that's not what I wanted for myself. And had I not joined the Wisconsin National Guard and gotten tuition reimbursement and, you know, the other educational benefits, I probably wouldn't have gone to college. I wouldn't definitely have not gone to graduate school. And it's made me more aware of, you know, other people's situations. It's made me probably a little bit more diverse than, you know, what I would have been staying in mid-central Wisconsin in a small town. And it's definitely made me more determined. I was always pretty determined and kind of, you know, did my own thing in the way I wanted it to. But it kind of gives me that drive and especially when people tell me that I can't do something in life, you know, watch me. And it's been, you know, pretty cool. There's a lot of people, especially going through grad school or even in my career, that are like, they can't believe that I'm in the Army and that I've done the things that I've done. And it's rewarding and it's fulfilling. And, you know, it helps me think that I'm fulfilling at least some small purpose in life.
SOBOROWSKI: So my leadership just continues to really shine through. And I think those delegating--the reason I, you know, was appointed to do that. But I think that learning that delegation was a key, you know, 'cause most people don't want to be in charge of it. They'll do all the work, but they don't want to be in charge. So I don't know why, it's better, sort of. I don't mind holding extra responsibility. I'm comfortable with it.
INTERVIEWER: Well, it's interesting that you emphasized that that's something you got out of the military and learned in the military.
SOBOROWSKI: The leadership--it's confidence.
INTERVIEWER: Leadership.
SOBOROWSKI: There's a confidence in yourself. You know, I can do this. I know exactly what to do and how to do it, you know, and I'm not worried about if somebody doesn't like the decision or the, you know, I'm going to make a responsible, thoughtful decision that covers whatever that is. But yeah, I do think that's the biggest thing is my leadership for sure. I think I already have a kind of natural leadership that somehow I always end up in charge of stuff. I try not to be and I always end up running after leading or and I try to avoid. I prefer to mentor someone as they could be the leader and I help them do that. That's kind of where I want to be in life now rather than be the one who's in charge of it. You can take over and I can help you.
INTERVIEWER: What feedback did you get from the family on being the first woman to enter the military?
JOHNSON: Um, my dad was a little reluctant. My dad was, "you're my smart daughter. You're supposed to go to college. All the girls in the family go to college." I was like, "Well, I'll go to college after the military," which I did, but [laughs] I promised 'em that and I kept that promise. But he was very reluctant. He did--he said, "Well, don't go to the-- don't go to the Marines. Don't go to the Army. Go somewhere light, go to the Navy, go to the Air Force, go to the Coast Guard." I was like, "okay." So I end up going to high school, to Bay View High School, they had the ROTC program for the Navy. So, that's why I chose Navy.