PIN-UPS FOR VETS: A TRIBUTE TO VETERAN WOMEN


By akirschbaum
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Destini English, 99th Medical Operations Squadron mental health technician, poses as her alter-ego, Jaynee Lou Jeepers, during a photo shoot Aug. 17, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. English is involved with charity organizations, such as Pin-Ups for Vets and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

Joining the Army is not that easy. You need to undergo rigorous scrutiny before you can pass and go on training. After all the hardships, and once you are entirely on active duty, sometimes you will be deployed overseas away from home, family, and friends. Once you retire, you will not even receive the proper benefits you need, even though you have served the country for the benefit of others. That's where Pin-Ups for Vets comes in. They are a non-profit organization raising funds to help Veterans have better healthcare. This organization also donates funds to VA hospitals to purchase better and new medical equipment. Those donations can help improve the quality of life for ill Veterans across the country. Most of the time, the organization's personnel even visit Veterans to deliver gifts, volunteer, help homeless Vets, boost the morale of female service members and military wives via makeovers, and raise the morale of deployed troops via package deliveries.

The New 2025 Pin-Ups for Vets

The 2025 issue even features two Purple Heart recipients; one is an Army Lt. Colonel who spent 39 months in Iraq on three deployments. The other one is a 25-year Marine Corps Vet who lost her arm. This issue features 13 beautiful and strong women who have around 100 years of military service combined. With their 50s-style pin-up fashion calendar, they are aiming to raise money for VA hospital programs.Now, the calendar is in its 19th year. It had previously donated over $120,000 to VA hospitals for new equipment. The main goal of the 2025 calendar is to raise funds for Vets who are homeless, ill, or injured, including deployed troops and spouses. The yearly project is a nod to the original pin-up posters of famous women such as Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth, who popularized it during the Second World War to boost troops' morale.Those who participated in the Pin-Ups for Vets 2025 calendar issue also used this chance to showcase and embrace their feminine side. One model, Arely Elrod, who served in the Army for 13 years and is a former construction equipment mechanic, mentioned that she aimed to join the project after having an identity crisis after her military separation. She also noted that she had suppressed her femininity when joining the Army. It was her way to be taken seriously in a male-dominated environment. Neglecting herself in many ways resulted in her becoming more self-conscious. Another model of the 19th issue calendar, Miracle Holthouser, a 10-year Air Force Veteran as an operations analyst briefer, remembered that someone told her that women should not be doing a men's job. Even though women could serve in combat positions, there was still resistance. Holthouser joined the Pin-Ups for Vets to combat the narrative.

A Brief History of Pin-Ups for Vets

This is a non-profit organization that aims to raise money to help Veterans who are in need. It was founded by Gina Elise in 2006 when she learned about the poor conditions of Veterans, so, in honor of her late grandfather, Pin-Ups for Vets began. After a few years, the calendar is still thriving and continues her annual tradition of fundraising. The first issue came out in the spring of the same year. It raised over $5,000, which was donated to a VA hospital in California.Elise delivered the products to Vets while dressed as a 1940s Pin-Up girl. This was her way of promoting the first issue of her calendar and then realizing its great potential in the market. During the calendar's early years, it was short on resources and models. Thus, Elise used various wigs to serve as a Pin-Up girl for each month. However, other women noticed the calendar and started contacting her to participate. Even military Vets were eager to join the fun, which helped Pin-Ups for Vets reach a wider audience. Suggested reads:


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