Return to Base | A VeteranLife Podcast

Phyllis Wilson | Women Veterans, Visibility, and Preserving Military History

• VeteranLife • Season 2 • Episode 6

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0:00 | 39:57

Host: Cliff Van Rickley
Guest: Phyllis Wilson- President, Military Women’s Memorial Foundation

Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phyllis Wilson didn't set out to become the leader of the nation's only major memorial dedicated to women who served in the U.S. military. In fact, despite spending years working at the Pentagon, she didn't even know the Military Women's Memorial existed until 2013.

Today, as President of the Military Women's Memorial Foundation, Wilson is helping ensure that the stories of more than three million women who have served since the Revolutionary War are preserved, honored, and shared with future generations.

In this episode of Return To Base, Cliff sits down with Wilson to discuss her remarkable 37-year military career, her path from intelligence and language operations to leadership, the challenges women faced in uniform throughout much of her service, and why preserving women's military stories remains as important as ever.

As Women Veterans Day (June 12)  approaches, this conversation is a powerful reminder that military history is far broader—and more personal—than many people realize.


In This Episode

  • Why Phyllis originally joined the Army 
  • Her 37-year military career and work in intelligence operations
  • Serving as a woman in uniform during a very different era
  • The challenges faced by dual-military families
  • Why becoming a Warrant Officer changed everything
  • Discovering the Military Women's Memorial after decades of service
  • Progress and persistent misconceptions surrounding women veterans
  • Why recording and preserving your military story matters
  • How listeners can support the Military Women's Memorial


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Phyllis Wilson is a retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 and President of the Military Women's Memorial, located at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. During her distinguished military career, she served in intelligence and special operations assignments, including work with Joint Special Operations Command. Today, she leads efforts to preserve and share the stories of women who have served throughout American military history.