The Waukesha Christmas Parade will kick off this year with a very special tribute to those who served. The parade committee selected women veterans to be the grand marshals of the parade.
“They had [to] custom make a female because all they had of the statues were male,” said Veda Angles showing an award she got during her time in the Wisconsin National Guard.
She knows all too well how rarely people think of women as veterans.
“For Veteran’s Day they thank my husband for his service,” said Veda.
About 10% of the U.S. veteran population are women. Veda, Destiny Moore and Xanthia Moore are sisters and all served their country. Destiny started her sisters on a military path when she chose to serve in the Marines.
Watch: Honoring those who served, women veterans to lead the Waukesha Christmas Parade
“I am a very small percentage of America,” said Destiny. “It is not just a man thing and there are women here fighting for your freedom.”
It is why the Waukesha Christmas Parade will be honoring women veterans as the grand marshals this year. Among the grand marshals are Mindy Mingerink who joined the Wisconsin National Guard after the September 11th attacks and served two tours of duty during the Iraq War. She is still on active duty.
“I absolutely love it. I have such a passion for what I do and serving in the military,” said Mindy. “Until I am either told I am no longer eligible to serve or I really stop enjoying it, I will continue to serve.”
Ruth Kunich spent more than a dozen years serving in the U.S. Air Force and had the same passion for her time in. She hopes when people see her and the other veterans leading off the parade… it might spark something in the next generation.
“I think one of the biggest things in my generation in the military [is that] women were often overlooked,” said Ruth. “To have that opportunity to show that female veterans, there are women who served in the military, especially in my era, is very exciting.”
“We are here and we are here to protect the nation,” said Mindy.
“There are little girls that are going to be in the parade or watching that parade and seeing women like us,” said Destiny. “And that they sacrificed their lives and their family time for our country.”
The Waukesha Christmas Parade will march along Main Street downtown on Sunday starting at 4 p.m.
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