By Nina Hendricks/Sarah Maples Chapter
Regent Helen Preston of the Sarah Maples Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was pleased to welcome Kathy Hanlon as the speaker at the last meeting. Vice Regent Suzanne Fife made the Introductions. Kathy is the National Defense Committee Chairman and is responsible for the National Defender magazine that all DAR members can access. Kathy keeps up with military men and women overseas and here at home.
Kathy reminded us that on Dec. 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified and added to the U.S. Constitution. On the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the date a federal holiday. “Bill of Rights Day” celebrates the freedoms and rights of this amazing document that affords Americans the freedoms they have.
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is coming up on Dec. 7. It will mark the 72nd anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
On July 30, 1942 a division of the U.S. Navy consisting entirely of women was established to serve on a temporary basis during WW11. This division was known as “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service” or WAVES. In 1948, the “Women’s Armed Services Integration Act” was signed by President Truman. This executive order allowed women to become full members of the U.S. Armed Forces. On July 7, 1948, women were sworn into the U.S. Navy. The acronym, WAVES, continued to be used into the 1970’s.
Sarah Maples member Jean Small enlisted in the Navy as Yeoman 1st Class and was stationed in Washington DC during World War II. It was here that she met her husband.
Kathy and everyone in the Sarah Maples chapter will be praying for our troops deployed in Afghanistan and other far away locations around the world. These brave men and women fighting for freedom in overseas locations will be away from their homes this holiday season. As you gather with your families throughout this month of celebration, remember these troops who will not have the same opportunity during what is surely the most difficult time of the year for the men and women of the U.S. military serving overseas, and for their families and loved ones at home. This time of year can be especially hard for the children of military personal as they spend Christmas without their family members. This page here gives some advice on how to explain deployment to children and help them understand why their mother or father will not be home at Christmas. If you know of a military family in your community offer your support, even the smallest gestures, such as a friendly card or letter may sometimes help to ease the burdens of a military family or families of the fallen.
Kathy Hanlon has been a Texas resident since 1996 moving from Ohio and now living in Granbury. She and her husband have a combined family of five. She has served her chapter as Regent, Vice Regent and Parliamentarian. She is now serving as National and State Committee Chairman of National Defense, State Vice Chairman of Membership and President of the Heart of Texas Regents Council. Kathy has 15 proven ancestors and two waiting for approval.