Martha Cassity will make a bit of history this weekend when she takes the reins of the Kentucky Veterans of Foreign Wars. She'll become the first female commander of the state VFW in its 77-year history.
She will lead the 17,000 member organization for the next year and hopes her leadership will help open doors for more female veterans of foreign wars to lead.
"When they did finally agree to let females in, they weren't real happy with us, and I hope this changes a lot of their minds," says Cassity.
Her priority as commander will be to assist homeless veterans and their families across Kentucky. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was congratulated Cassity on the floor of the U.S. Senate Thursday.
"We owe our veterans an unimaginable debt for their service to our country. In this new post, Martha will continue to serve her Nation by advocating on veterans’ behalf," stated McConnell. "Martha works to make real the VFW’s vision: ensuring that veterans are respected for their service, and recognized for the sacrifices they and their loved ones have made on behalf of a grateful America."
Cassity is a Louisville native who served in Germany and South Korea. She was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1994 after getting injured while training for Operation Desert Storm.
Since then, she’s held several leadership roles in the VFW on the local and district levels.