By Lt. Jennifer Cragg
“Watch me succeed.”
First Lady Michelle Obama spoke these three profound words during a tea for military women held in the White House East Room yesterday afternoon. Obama reflected on the important milestones women have achieved in the military as she addressed the more than 130 women and men who attended the afternoon tea ceremony.
“And I think that more than anything, that phrase ‘watch me’ sums up the spirit of our women in uniform throughout our history,” Obama said. “When others doubted you, or dismissed you, or questioned whether you could endure the training or complete the mission that was your response: Watch me.”
Prior to women earning the right to vote or the right to own property, they risked their lives to serve our nation, she said. Women have chosen to serve their country, facing danger, risking their lives, and even dressing like men so they would be allowed to serve, she added.
Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied Obama, along with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright.
Obama arranged the tea ceremony for military women based on a meeting she had with retired Gen. Wilma Vaught, president of the Board of Directors of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc.
“And if any of you are still wondering why you’re here,” said Obama, “It’s not just for tea.” Obama recounted a conversation she had with Vaught earlier in the year when they met at the Women’s Memorial.
Vaught had mentioned to Obama that Eleanor Roosevelt held tea parties at the White House and asked her “We’re coming for tea, right?”
In fact, during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, his wife Eleanor hosted at least two tea parties every afternoon, according to Whitehousehistory.org.
And, comparing the past to the present day, Cartwright added a touch of humor to the afternoon event by stating that Eleanor Roosevelt probably would never imagined a Marine fighter pilot sitting down for a “spot of tea.”
Two World War II veterans also attended the event: Esther Corcoran, who was born in 1905 and was one of the first women in the Army to achieve the rank of lieutenant colonel, and Alyce Dixon, who was born in 1907 and had served with the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
“These ladies have contributed a great deal to this country, and while their lives may span a century, they’re both young at heart,” Obama said, who also referred to the ladies as spunky, which drew laughter from the audience.
“We are thrilled to have you both here today, thrilled and honored and grateful for your service.”
Obama summed up the gathering by thanking both the women who serve and those who have served. She said they have collectively “broken the brass ceiling one after another.”
She added that women who have served our nation have brought with them a legacy that is more than just their own service.
“I hope that you know that your legacy will be measured in the service of every woman who follows in the trails that you’ve blazed, every woman who benefits from your daring and determination,” she said. “It will be measured in the inspiration that you provide to our daughters and our granddaughters and to our sons and our grandsons as well,” she said.
Other senior officials who attended included Cartwright’s wife, Sandee; Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Jim Conway and his wife, Annette; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead and his wife, Ellen; Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen and his wife, Pam; and Patty Shinseki, wife of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
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