MAY 5, 2026 – More than 50 women veterans from multiple military service branches visited Arlington National Cemetery on April 14, 2026, to honor fallen friends and the Unknown Soldiers.
The women were part of a “Lone Eagle” Honor Flight, which flies veterans to our nation’s capital and offers them tours of memorials, monuments and historic sites, including Arlington National Cemetery. While most honor flights commence from one of 125 hubs around the country, Lone Eagle Honor Flights ensure that veterans who do not live near a hub are able to participate.
Some of the women had served in combat zones. Doris Denton, from Gulfport, Mississippi, spent 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including a tour of duty in Saigon, South Vietnam, as a typist. As she recalled coming under enemy sniper and rocket fire at her headquarters in 1969, she said she appreciated the cemetery as a place of respite and remembrance for veterans. “It symbolizes those who didn’t come back,” she added.
U.S. Air Force veteran Cynthia Gatlin, from Sacramento, California, served in Thailand as a medic during the Vietnam War, treating both wounded soldiers and civilians. Visiting the cemetery, she said, made her heart feel full and renewed her appreciation of “the sacrifices that many men and women have made for this country.”
The highlight of the day came when four of the women laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Navy veteran Linda Fulkerson (Boise, Idaho), Marine veteran Michele Skanks (Northwood, New Hampshire), and Army veterans Queen Amos (Enterprise, Alabama) and Roxanne Pack (Montgomery, Alabama). All felt honored to represent their fellow female veterans. Fulkerson described the experience simply but powerfully: “Goosebumps and tears.”
The wreath-laying ceremony held special meanings for Amos and Pack. An Army veteran friend from Alabama, Charlene Swann, was supposed to accompany them, but she passed away just 11 days before the flight. “This was our way to honor her,” Pack said.
As the women departed, many spoke about the importance of service, sacrifice and sisterhood. Navy veteran Patricia Hooks-Bass, from Seattle, Washington, appreciated connecting with her fellow female veterans. “You could be walking down a sidewalk in downtown Seattle and not know that the woman beside you is also a veteran.” she said.
Army veteran Irene Willison from Forest Grove, Oregon, went on the trip to honor all veterans who have given their lives for our nation throughout its 250-year history. She found the cemetery inspiring, concluding, “It makes me proud to be an American.”
Story by Kevin Hymel
Arlington National Cemetery