FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Historical Society is pleased to announce the grand opening of Our Stories, Our Service: Kentucky’s Women Veterans on view from June 13 through Fall 2024.
Presented in the Keeneland Gallery of the Kentucky History Center in downtown Frankfort, the exhibition honors Kentucky’s women veterans and explores how their courage and leadership have made significant military contributions in this century and the last. These individual experiences are part of the larger story of how the role of women in the United States Armed Forces has evolved from the home front to the front lines – and how resilience and determination have overcome cultural and institutional barriers to their service.
“Our individual perspectives color our understanding of military life and how we recognize those who served. The history of women in the military narrowly considers their service in a precisely defined role, crafted to fill duties unique to a woman,” said Scott Alvey, executive director of the Kentucky Historical Society. “We often fail to see their service as we view male counterparts fulfilling the same duties. Our Stories, Our Service seeks to change that perspective.”
The exhibition is made possible by Gray Construction, Studio46, and the Kentucky Historical Society.
The exhibit’s goal is to encourage an appreciation for the role of Kentucky’s women veterans, honor their service and legacy and enhance visitor understanding of how women contributed to the innovation and evolution of the United States Armed Forces. In addition, this exhibit will present a thematic study of how women veterans from Kentucky’s many different geographic, economic and cultural backgrounds navigated social and military challenges to serve.