Adele Doctor wins for her essay, “Why I’m Proud to be a Woman Veteran.” Adele is working on a memoir about her time in the U.S. Navy. Read an excerpt of her essay below.
“As a little girl I looked up to my mother. Mainly because my dad was away serving in the Army. My mom took care of everything. She dressed, fed and made sure we said our prayers at night. She was a role model as a single mother. But she wasn’t a single mother. She was holding the family together while my dad served his country. She was like so many women in this country who take care of their families while their husbands serve on active duty. The term dependent does not do them justice. They serve in their own way. I always had the greatest respect for both my parents and their service to this country. I guess they influenced me in some of the biggest decisions I have made in life. I decided to join the Navy because I was used to the military way of life. A life of uniforms, bases, separations, and duty. Our duty as kids was to study, respect our elders and stay out of trouble. My parents did their part and we kids did ours.”