Veterans Day is a day to honor more than just soldiers.

That was the message from Lieutenant Colonel Jayson Hackett, guest speaker before a standing room crowd the St. Cloud VA Medical Center Auditorium Monday.

Hackett spoke about the unsung heroes behind the scenes whose contributions were instrumental in helping win WWII.

“Many WWII veterans fought on the front lines. But behind every infantryman, every artillery man, were those in support. Every person was important in winning that war. Cooks,  nurses, drivers, telephone operators, code breakers were all part of the enormous support system that helped us win.”

One of those support persons was Elizabeth Johnson from North Carolina, who joined the war effort in 1943 after a receiving a flyer in the mail with a picture of Uncle Sam saying “I want you!”

Johnson served with the Women’s Army Corps from March 1943 to November 1945. She was one of 800 women assigned to the 6888 Central Post Direct Battalion, the first and only all-female African American unit deployed overseas during WWII.

They provided combat support and operations and their job was to clear a two-year backlog of mail in six months. They did it in three months. Johnson served in France and England. 

“The women took their duties seriously. In fact, if you or your families sent letters during that time, it likely went through their unit.

Johnson said her wartime experience gave her a broader view of the world. She went back to school got a degree and taught school for 30 years.

Women supported the war communications efforts in other ways, too. The majority of the army’s 10,500 code breakers were female.  They made it possible for the U.S. to mobilize on D-Day, sink enemy ships and down enemy planes. Their tireless work was essential to wining that war. But they were sworn to secrecy. When their families asked what they did, these women said, “nothing much, just office work.”

One of the largest group of support personnel was the Womens Army Corps. They performed many functions during that war. Over 150,000 women plotted aircraft bomb courses,  prepared machinery and weapons, operated telephones on the battle front. They learned to forecast weather, flew planes, operated and repaired radios. They sent fake radio signals that tricked Axis powers into thinking the D-Day landings would take place somewhere else.

They were cryptographers, sheet metal workers, parachute riggers, aerial photography analysts. More than 1,000 of them ran statistical control tabulation machines. They computed the velocity of projectiles, measured bomb strafes, mixed gunpowder and loaded shells.

They continue to serve our communities by making positive contributions, building stronger futures and inspiring future generations.”

Hackett finished with a “call to actions” to all veterans.

“It’s in your DNA to serve, regardless whether you were front line or in support, regardless of gender, regardless of color.

You were trained, tested and yourself trained others during your service. What you had was valuable, as it is now. 

It changed you. 

I urge you to continue to serve in any way you can. Do the best with what you have wherever you are, just as you were trained.

Share your knowledge. Tell your story. Tell someone else’s story.  Continue to have the same grit and determination you had in uniform any way you can now. 

That label - the veteran label, is earned. Whether you are a soldier, sailor, marine or airman, it follows you everywhere, as well it should. 

Continue to do yourself, your community and your nation proud by committing yourself to making this a more perfect union.”