‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’: Over 100 women honored at Virginia War Memorial ceremony

Mar 18, 2026 - 22:25

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‘Standing on the shoulders of giants’: Over 100 women honored at Virginia War Memorial ceremony

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Over 100 women military veterans were honored during Wednesday's pinning ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.

The event was held on Wednesday, March 18 as part of Virginia Women Veterans Week -- a seven-day observance recognizing women who have served in the military.

During the pinning ceremony, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) thanked the veterans for their service and said that many women have been inspired by the honored military veterans.

"The history of women in the military is a history of service given fully -- and recognition, sometimes, given reluctantly," Spanberger said. "It's a history of women who are oftentimes told there were things they could not do, and who did them anyway."

First-ever pinning ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond on March 18 (Photo: Jakobi Davis, 8News)

Other women veterans echoed Spanberger's sentiments.

Rhita Mortiz, a Marine Corps veteran and 11-year member of the Virginia Army National Guard, said she came to celebrate herself and also other female veterans and service members.

"Where I am in the military right now -- I'm really standing on the shoulders of giants," Mortiz said. "It's so inspirational to see all of these women from such a different diversity of backgrounds and be able to celebrate all of the[ir] hard and work."

"As a woman in the military, you must be relentless," she added.

Mortiz, who also writes paranormal romance books, explained that she enlisted in the United States Marine Corp on her 20th birthday in 2015 and used the GI bill to get her associate's, bachelor's and master's degrees after leaving the National Guard.