As part of our Hometown Heroes recognition, the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs has begun collecting virtual tributes of women Veterans who have served or who are currently serving in the U.S. uniformed and armed services living in or from Montgomery County, Maryland to be shared on our website.
The records show these women as enlisting, being originally from, or having at one time lived in Montgomery County, MD. We consider the U.S. Department of Defense home of entry records as the official designation of military residency.
Resources: View our Veterans Network Directory (PDF) for programs, services, and resources specific to women Veterans. To view an Adobe PDF file, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file. You can obtain one for FREE from Adobe Systems Incorporated. Download Acrobat Reader
Veronica Childers
Veronica Childers served as a nurse in the U.S. Army for 12 years during the Gulf War. She worked out of Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. She was promoted to Captain during her time in the Army. Childers has lived in Montgomery County since 1997. She has lived in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and Olney and currently resides in Gaithersburg. She works for the Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) of Montgomery County.
Lillian Fishburne
Lillian Fishburne made history by being the first African-American woman to attain the rank of rear admiral when she was promoted by President Bill Clinton in 1998. This followed her tenures as chief of the Command and Control Systems Support Division in Washington, D.C., and as commander of the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station of the Eastern Pacific. She retired in 2001 with decorations including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal. She resides in Rockville, Maryland. View full profile
Gail Hubbard Froelich
Gail Hubbard Froelich joined the U.S. Air Force after high school in June 6, 1964. She served as Secretary at McChord Air Force Base, Washington for her first year of duty. During her time there she taught Disaster Control and was fill in Secretary for base and wing commanders. She also received a certificate of recognition for riding in a Command T-33 Jet Aircraft with the 325 th Fighter Wing, McChord. Froelich also served as Secretary in Top Secret War Planning at Hickman Air Force Base, Hawaii, for three years. She was an Air Force Princess for a base Air Force birthday party while in Hawaii. Froelich ended her Air Force career as a Sergeant and was discharged on June 5, 1968 at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. She moved to Silver Spring, Maryland in 2011 to be closer to her daughter and family after her husband passed away.
Gloria White Gardner
Gloria White Gardner was a neuropsychiatric nurse, serving in the Navy from 1960-63 at Bethesda Naval Hospital. She has more 35 years of experience working for federal executive agencies in Washington, D.C., and with national and state nonprofit organizations and faith-based institutions. As a contractor for the U.S. Department of Commerce Patent and Trademark Office, she investigated and resolved cases regarding complaints of discrimination. Gardner resided in Rockville, Maryland. She passed away on June 18, 2023, at the age of 83. View full profile
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Ella Mae Gray
Ella Mae Gray served in the U.S. Air Force as a Senior Airman from 1994 to 1998. As a health services administrator, she worked in various administrative positions within the base hospital including the orderly room, medical library and medical records. She also performed ceremonial duties with the base Honor Guard. Gray grew up in East Tennessee and graduated from Alcoa High School in 1994. She graduated from Troy University, Troy, Alabama, with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology in 2000. She also graduated from LaSalle University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earning a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling Psychology in 2005. Gray has been a licensed psychotherapist in Montgomery County since 2010. In 2016, she opened Guiding Principles Counseling Services, LLC, in Gaithersburg. Gray is currently a resident of Germantown.
Martha I. Lyman
Martha I. Lyman served for over two years in the U.S. Army during World War II in Naples, Italy, with the support staff for the 5 th Army as a stenographer. She participated in the campaigns of Naples-Foggia and Rome-Arno. Lyman received the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, Good Conduct Medal and WAAC Service Ribbon. Following her military service, she returned to Europe to work 2 years in Frankfurt, Germany as a civilian with the U.S. Occupation Forces. Lyman, maiden name Landon, was born and raised in Marion, Ohio. She moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland, in 2015 to be closer to her family in Bethesda. Prior to moving to Maryland, she lived in Chappaqua, New York, for 50 years.
Cynthia Izuno Macri
Dr. Cynthia Macri was commissioned into the U.S. Navy in 1979 and retired as a Captain after 35 years of service as a gynecologic oncologist. She held a variety of academic and executive leadership roles at the National Naval Medical Center, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, FL, Walter Reed Army Medical Center (Washington, DC), the Naval Medical Education and Training Command, and the Uniformed Services University before moving to the Pentagon to serve as Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations for Diversity. Upon retirement in 2013, she was retained on active duty for an additional 12 months to serve as Chief Strategist for the 21st Century Sailor Office where she advised the Chief of Naval Personnel on human performance, unit cohesiveness, personnel readiness and productivity and the Navy’s effort to combat sexual assault/sexual harassment, suicide and mental health as well as destructive behaviors such as underage and binge drinking, drinking and driving, fraternization, and bias in evaluations and promotions. Dr. Macri serves on several committees and commissions including the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. She current resides in Kensington, Maryland. View full profile
Lisa J. Markland
Lisa Markland joined the United States Air Force in September 1985, initially through the Air National Guard and later served through the Air Force Reserves at what was then Andrews Air Force Bace. She was permanently injured at her first reserve drill in March 1988, but served through the Gulf War and was honorably discharged in the summer of 1992. Although Markland completed her master’s degree while still in service she chose to serve in aeromedical evacuation, and left service as an E-5 staff sergeant. She currently resides in Germantown, Maryland. View full profile
Casey McCabe
Casey McCabe is an Army Veteran turned Park Ranger. While enlisted in the Army, she was the Communications Property Manager with S6 (radios, computers, antennas, etc.). During deployment to Iraq, she installed radios in vehicles and ensured Communications were running properly. The skills she learned while serving in the military helped pave the path for her career with the National Park Service (NPS). Casey began her NPS career, through the Pathways Program, as an Administrative Support Assistant, for Rock Creek Park in 2015. McCabe recently took on the new role of Supply Management Specialist at National Mall and Memorial Parks in D.C. McCabe grew up in Montgomery County, graduating from the Academy of the Holy Cross in 2005 and earning her Associate degree from Montgomery College. View full profile
Elizabeth Jane McCarthy
Elizabeth Jane McCarthy joined the Army Nurse Corps in 1968 while she was attending Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing. After the six weeks of basic training in Texas, she was stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for ten months in the Recovery Room/Intensive Care Unit. Then, at age 22, with that minimal experience under her belt, she was sent to the 95th Evacuation Hospital in DaNang, South Vietnam where she worked as a Captain in the pre-operative and receiving area as a triage nurse, separating patients based on severity of injuries and what medical treatments were needed. Sometimes, all she could do was hold a soldier’s hand as he breathed his last breath. View full profile
Constance "Connie" Mitchell
Connie Mitchell was born in the Catskill Mountains north of New York City in 1931. Her father was admitted to West Point Military Academy and moved his family across the country to Northern California, where Mitchell attended high school. Upon her graduation in 1949, she joined the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, where she served as an office clerk on Hamilton Air Force Base in California for 3 years. She was proud to work under some high-ranking female officers, who, though ranked above her, embraced her and they became friends. She has fond memories of attending dances on weekends. After completing her third year, she left the U.S. Air Force and became a travel agent. Mitchell was married to her husband, Carl, for 60 years before he passed away. They had 4 boys - Carl Jr, Mark, Michael and Matthew. Her hobbies are crossword and word puzzles, as well as reminiscing with family. She now lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, not too far from her son, Michael.
Julia Musson
Julia Musson is a Vietnam-era Veteran who served 8 years in the U.S. Navy. She completed boot camp in Orlando, Florida in 1974 and avionics training at the Naval Air Station in Memphis, Tennessee in 1975. She served as a Training Device Operations and Maintenance Technician from 1975 to 1984. Musson currently resides in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Trinity R. Nelson
Trinity Nelson served during the Global War of Terrorism era as a Gunnery Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. She enlisted in May 2000 and attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. She graduated from 4 th Battalion, November Company, Series 4024, Platoon 4025. Her Military Occupational Skill (MOS) was 5831, Corrections Specialist. This MOS entailed in-taking, supervising, and releasing military prisoners from all branches and ranks of every service. Nelson was medically retired from the Marine Corps in February 2015 after 14 ½ years of service. Her husband, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jody R. Nelson (Ret.), passed away in March 2015 from Neuroendocrine Small Cell Carcinoma. Together they have one son, Caleb. Nelson and her son currently live in Damascus, Maryland. Pictured with Nelson is her service dog York, whom she received from Hero Dogs . View full profile
Joyce Tabb
Joyce Tabb served Active Duty Army from 1975-1978 as a Finance Specialist at Fort Hood, Texas, with honorably discharge in December 1978 as Sergeant. She immediately joined the Army Reserves in January 1979 serving in Norfolk and Richmond, Virginia and later Riverdale, Maryland, serving until retirement in 1996 as Sergeant First Class. While assigned to the U.S. Army Reserves in Riverdale, Tabb served in Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War at Fort Meade, Maryland, in 1991. During her 21 years of service she worked as a Finance Specialist, Administrative Specialist, Payroll Clerk, Supply Specialist, and Training Specialist and received numerous rewards for her service. Tabb has worked in Management and Budget for the Montgomery County Police Department since March 2014 as a Fiscal Assistant and Accountant/Auditor.
Anneke Vandenbroek
Dr. Anneke Vandenbroek served in the U.S. Army from 1998 to 2002. She was a recipient of the Army Health Professions Scholarship for her doctorate in psychology and entered active duty in June 1998. She completed her internship at Fort Gordon, Georgia and then served as Division Psychologist for the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. She completed her tour at Tripler Army Medical Center as a Captain. Dr. Vandenbroek continued to work as a psychologist serving the military as a civilian employee at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She is now Senior Vice President and Clinic Director for the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Easterseals. She currently resides in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Angela Waller
Angela Waller is a Combat Veteran who served 24 years in the U.S. Army Reserve during the Global War on Terror. She served the majority of her career as a Medical Laboratory Technician and Blood Bank Operations Specialist. She was later nominated to serve as an Army Reserve Counselor for U.S. Army Reserve Command. Upon retiring, Waller began practicing yoga, writing poetry, taking pictures, playing golf and volunteering – all instrumental in helping reduce stress and anxiety. She is now a published writer, Holistic Lifestyle Coach, and registered yoga teacher, holding several specialized certifications. An avid volunteer of several organizations, Waller additionally earned the President Barack Obama Volunteer Service Award. She founded a nonprofit organization, created to bring various social events to underrepresented populations, and recently founded a wellness brand specializing in yoga for athletes, beginners and Veterans. In 2017, Waller was appointed as a Maryland Ambassador for the Military Women’s Memorial. During its 2021 inaugural search she was carefully chosen as a Proudly She Served Influencer and achieved Top Ten Finalist in the prestigious Ms. Veteran America (MVA) 2021 competition this past October where she also received the MVA 2021 Selfless Service Award. Waller is humbled and honored to bring awareness to the existence and experiences of women Veterans. She currently resides in Darnestown, Maryland.If you would like to share your story or the story of a friend or family member, please either fill out our Google form or fill out the PDF form. Questions can be directed to MCCVA@montgomerycountymd.gov.
This website is a project of the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs.
For more information please call 240-777-1252 (V) or email MCCVA@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Proudly Recognizing the Military Service of Our U.S. Armed Forces, U.S. Uniformed Services & Their Families