Additional Resources Relating to LaTanga Blair's Interview

Since Ms. Blair was the first female veteran in our project, some of the items below cover the broad topic of females in the military.

Online Resources Relating to Conflicts Ms. Blair Served In: 

• An overview of the Gulf War (also known as Desert Storm) from Gale US History in Context.
• A summary of the Camp David Accords from Gale US History in Context.
• Data Overview of the Women in the Military, found through Credo Reference, from Contemporary World Issues: Women in Combat: A Reference Handbook. This report is from the White House and shows how women are involved in the military.

Books from NYPL's catalog: 

• Women in the Military, published 2001. Found in the Schwarzman Building's Main Reading room, this book presents the issues facing women in the military today and ways to solve these problems. The creation of this book evolved from a special issue from the journal Gender Issues. Additional information is provided as well as critical views from leading academic scholars.
• Women in the Military, published 2004. A collection of essays that focus on women in the military and allows a variety of viewpoints to be presented.
• Women in the Military: An Unfinished Revolution by Jeanne Holm, published 1992. Holm's book views the role of women in the military from the Vietnam War until the war Ms. Blair severed in, The Persian Gulf War.
• Tough as Nails: One Woman's Journey Through West Point by Gail O'Sullivan Dwyer, published 2009. This story recounts Dwyer's time as a cadet in West Point's second class that included women.
• Powder: Writing by Women in the Ranks, from Vietnam to Iraq, published 2008. A collection of stories and poems by women who served in the Korean War to the Iraq War.

Items Related to Stories Told in Interview:

• The Camp Avoid Accords and Related Documents, published 1998 can be found in the Schwarzman Building. These documents contain information about the peacetime conflict that first sent Ms. Blair overseas.
• An article from the United States Department of Defense entitled "Army Reserve Women Weather 'The Storm.'" It shares the point of view of a female Army reservists (similar to Ms. Blair) who was sent to serve in Desert Storm.
• At one point in the interview, Ms. Blair talks about Khobar Towers, where she was housed for a period of time. She mentions that the towers were later bombed and this New York Times Article by Philip Shenon entitled "23 U.S. Troops Die in Truck Bombing in Saudi Base" explains this incident which occurred on June 25, 1996.
• PBS wrote a blog series with post revolving around the theme of "Women and War."
• At the end of the interview, Ms. Blair mentions her induction into the Veteran Hall of Fame. Her story and biography is presented in this article from the New York Senate website.

Women and Sexual Harassment in the Military:

• Women in the Military: Talihook Affair and the Problem with Sexual Harassment, published 1992. This report is accesible online and looks into the Tailhook Affair, which occurred in September 1991 at the Tailhook Association Symposium in Los Vegas, Nevada.
• "Military Sexual Abuse: A Greater Menace Than Combat" by H. Patricia Hynes published in January 2012. This article is from Truthout, a non-profit organization that seeks to shed light on social injustice.
• An article written by Molly O'Toole in October 2012 from the Huffington post entitled "Military Sexual Assault Epidemic Continues to Claim Victims As Defense Department Fails Females" is an in-depth look at the rising amount of women stepping forward about military sexual assault. This article also contains graphs and personal accounts from several different female veterans.
• A November 2012 article by James Risen at the New York Times entitled "Military Has Not Solved Problems of Sexual Assault, Women Say." This article shares another story of sexual assult victim and continues the discussions of this issue.
• Listen to an NPR recording, created in December 2012 entitled "Fighting Back Against Sexual Assault in the Military." Three guests appear in this interview: a former Marine who experienced sexual assault, a national security correspondant, and a psychologist from the Department of Defense.
• "With Women in Combat, Will Military Finally Address Epidemic of Sexual Assault?" by Michelle Bernard, published January 2013. This more current article is from the Washington Post blog, She the People and reminds the reader sexual assult in the military is still an issue that needs to be addressed.
• The Invisible War, a 2012 documentary about the epidemic of rape sweeping the military. Read The Lonely Solider: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq by Helen Benedict, which is the inspiration for this documentary.
  

Resources for Female Veterans:

• United States Department of Veteran Affairs: Center for Women Veterans. Created in November 1994, the Center for Women Veterans manage services provided to women veterans. This center also seeks to raise awareness and assist women veterans as much as they can.
• American Women Veterans. This non-profit organizes hopes to promote, honor, and preserve the lives of women who have served.
• Strategies for Serving Our Women Veterans. This 2012 report is available online through the NYPL's website. It explains a task force that is being created to better serve women veterans.
• An article from Take Part explaining the challenge female veterans face today.

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