For centuries, women have served in the U.S. military in different roles. Nurses in the Revolutionary War, combat leaders in modern conflicts and many more. Yet their contributions have often gone unrecognized. 

Today, women veterans represent the fastest-growing group of veterans in America.

As more women veterans make their homes in senior living communities, their stories of service, leadership and continued dedication deserve to be celebrated. 

Marilyn's story, from pediatric nurse to U.S. Army colonel, shows us the spirit of service that defines this remarkable generation of women who answered their country's call.

Marilyn

Marilyn was already a nurse working in pediatrics when she learned about a pediatric nurse practitioner course offered by the U.S. Army. The concept of a nurse practitioner was new at the time and it was exactly where Marilyn wanted to go with her career.

“I just jumped [at the chance] because it was what I was doing already, but I didn’t have the credentials,” Marilyn shared. Getting those credentials meant that Marilyn would be able to work more directly with physicians and establish her own practice in acute minor illness in well-child care.

Enrolling in the course meant a two-year commitment to serve with the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, and that was fine with Marilyn. But then something she couldn’t have predicted happened.

“So I went into the Nurse Corps to get that course and they offered me the course plus a two year obligation and that's what I intended to do,” she said. “And then I stayed for 20 years!” she adds, laughing.

Marilyn, a resident at Royal Palms, a community managed by The Goodman Group on The Palms of Largo campus in Largo, FL, spoke fondly of those 20 years when she served in a number of capacities beginning with a stint at Fort Campbell caring for the families of soldiers. She then became director of the nurse practitioner training, the very course she’d enlisted to take.

Moving Through the Ranks

When she rose to lieutenant colonel, she was assigned the role of chief nursing administrator at the Army European Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, for three years. 

There, Marilyn said, “I learned a great deal about the demands of military nurses.” It was far different from being a clinician and Marilyn developed a program to address those demands. “I developed the concept of the nurse triage team to use as a means for when we had to be deployed to handle a terrorist action, that we had teams already formed that were used to working with each other.”

When she returned to the states, Marilyn spent the last years of her military service at Eisenhower Medical Center, where she was the chief of nursing education and staff development. Of that assignment, Marilyn noted, “Eisenhower is a pretty big medical center and there were a lot of demands, but there were very good opportunities to work with the staff and watch them develop into seasoned nurses and corpsmen.”

A Growing Presence: Women Veterans in Senior Living

Marilyn's story represents a growing demographic in senior living communities across the country. Women veterans now make up nearly 11% of the total veteran population in the United States. 

Women who served in the military bring unique experiences and perspectives to their communities. Many, like Marilyn, served in healthcare roles during their military careers, while others participated in combat operations during the post-9/11 era. 

This shift reflects the changing face of military service. As more women serve, more are making their homes in senior living communities, bringing with them the same dedication to service that defined their military careers.

A Legacy of Service

Despite retiring from active duty, Marilyn remained very active in veterans’ activities. “I’m a vice commander of the Military Order of the World Wars. We’re an organization of officers, and our centerpiece is the youth leadership conference that we offer to young people in the area.”

The Military Order of the World Wars continues to serve young people through its conferences, hosting educational programs across the United States that teach high school students about leadership, patriotism, civic responsibility and the free enterprise system. The organization conducts dozens of events annually, offering students the opportunity to develop leadership skills at little or no cost.

Marilyn also participated in local military activities, including hosting veteran dinners for more than 100 people at local venues. “It's all for veterans and their families and I enjoy doing things like that,” she shared.

Honoring Our Veterans

Of her time at Royal Palms, Marilyn said, “I’m really blessed to be here. They really offer a lot.” Like the yoga and swim aerobics classes she takes every week. And of course, there’s the community. ”We have a very positive environment here at Palms, we really do. I mean, it's amazing, we help each other with little things, whether it's the guys that are pulling the chairs out for us or me when someone gets a scratch on their arm, they come running to me,” she laughed.

The Goodman Group's Valiant Veterans® program brings together veteran residents, their spouses and families through special events and activities. From breakfasts with guest speakers to partnerships with organizations like Honor Flight, these programs create meaningful connections within the veteran community.

Each November, veterans are recognized across The Goodman Group’s managed senior living communities. Residents who served find opportunities to connect with fellow veterans, share their stories and continue the camaraderie that defined their military years.

Communities managed by the Goodman Group are proud to offer U.S. veterans a 5% discount off their monthly rent for the length of their lease as our way of saying ‘thank you’.* 

Stories like Marilyn's remind us that the spirit of service doesn't end with retirement. Through volunteer work, community leadership or simply being present for fellow residents, veterans continue to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

*Discount does not apply to second person fee, pet fee, care services or packages, or à la carte service charges. Additional terms and conditions apply. Contact the managed senior living community directly for details.