March 7, 2006 -- This Wednesday, March 8, at 3 p.m., a diverse cross-section of military women will participate in a panel discussion in the East Ballroom of the University of Utah’s Union Building. The University of Utah American West Center’s “Women at War” presentation will feature four women who served in the Armed Forces during times of war. They will compare experiences and share perspectives on women in the military. The panelists will represent different wars and are:

• World War II – Eula Kimber, who served as a yeoman in the U.S. Navy on North Island, San Diego. She is a retired school teacher and currently president of the Waves of the Wasatch.
• Vietnam – Lt. Col. Yvonne Rasmussen, who flew air evacuation missions in Southeast Asia. Receiving numerous awards, she served as chief nurse at Hill Air Force Base (AFB) and retired in 1988 after 22 years of military service.
• Desert Storm – Melodie Kent, who served in the U.S. Army reserves as a combat telecommunication center operator with top secret clearance during Bright Star in Cairo and throughout Desert Storm. She is currently a junior high school teacher.
• Iraqi Freedom – Major Janice “Jay” Gourley, commandant of cadets and assistant professor of aerospace studies at the University of Utah. She serves in military intelligence and has been stationed in Germany, Desert Storm, Korea, Hill AFB and during the current conflict in Iraq.

Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions and speak with the veterans after the discussion. This event is free and open to the public. “Women at War” is held in conjunction with the American West Center’s “Saving the Legacy: An Oral History Project of Utah’s Veterans,” which has interviewed more than 500 veterans.

For more information, visit www.amwest.utah.edu or call the American West Center at 801-581-7611.