Houston marks Texas Women Veterans Day with honors, keynote from former POW Shoshana Johnson

HOUSTON — City officials, veterans and families gathered at Houston City Hall on June 12, 2025, for a Texas Women Veterans Day ceremony that presented proclamations and certificates honoring women who served in the U.S. military.

Dr. Lashandra Jones, director of the Mayor’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, opened the program and said, “It’s all about y’all today. It’s Women Veterans Day, y’all.” The event included remarks from Houston City Councilmember Tiffany D. Thomas (District F); presentations from representatives of the offices of Mayor Pro Tem Martha Kastek Statham and Council Member Leticia Plummer (At Large); and a keynote address by Shoshana Johnson, a U.S. Army veteran who was held captive during the 2003 Iraq War.

The ceremony highlighted the historical roots of the observance. Speakers noted the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, signed June 12, 1948, and cited recent Texas legislation recognizing Women Veterans Day. A city proclamation reading, in part, that June 12, 2025, be recognized as Women Veterans Day in Houston, was delivered by Dr. Jones on behalf of the mayor’s office.

Why this matters: the event combined formal recognition with survivor testimony and community awards, underscoring continuing calls from veterans for consistent support after military service. Johnson used her remarks to stress the ongoing mental-health and reintegration needs facing returning service members and veterans, asking attendees to “give us respect that we have earned and take care of us so we can help take care of our families.”

Program details and honorees: the ceremony presented certificates and resolutions from multiple elected officials to named honorees. Honorees singled out in biographical readings included Bertha Strait Lee (born 1925), Patricia Rankin (born 1941), Judy Harwell (Air Force veteran, served 1971–1973), Judy Hurst (Marine Corps veteran), Mildred Gates Hooper (member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion), Deputy Constable Jennifer L. Chavis (honored posthumously), and Sheila Jones (deputy constable who was wounded in an April 21, 2025, shooting). Organizers also recognized the National Association of Black Military Women and other veteran-serving organizations.

Speakers and presentations: State Representative Jolanda Jones read certificates from the Texas House; Perdita Chavis (chief of staff for Mayor Pro Tem Martha Kastek Statham) presented a certificate on the mayor pro tem’s behalf; Councilmember Edward Pollard (District J) read extended recognitions for several honorees and presented Dr. Jones with a certificate for her advocacy work. Tim Stroud of Stay Tuned for Vets presented a community leadership award; La’Gaedra Murphy received the organization’s 2025 Women Veteran of the Year award.

Keynote and themes: Shoshana Johnson recounted her service and captivity, described the emotional and practical challenges many veterans face on return, and urged continued public awareness of women’s long military history going back to the Revolutionary War. She recommended that female veterans submit their stories to institutions preserving women veterans’ history, specifically mentioning the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington.

Closing: the program ended with a Taps performance and a request that attendees remember veterans and their families year-round. Organizers also noted that three empty chairs in the front row commemorated women veterans who had recently died or were no longer able to attend. The ceremony included ceremonial elements — a color guard from a JROTC unit, the Pledge of Allegiance and a rendition of the national anthem — and concluded after roughly 90 minutes of presentations and remarks.