At the GFWC Wyoming Fall Workshop in Casper, our club lades came together to put over 100 bags of hope together in support of the GFWC International Day of Service to support survivors of domestic violence.  These bags of hope were divided amonst our various clubs for distribution to centers across the state.

Nancey, center, Co-Membership Chairman of the Laramie Woman's Club delivered 10 bags of hope to Laramie's Safe house along with 1 fleece blanket, and bottles of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner.  The bags were filled with much needed personal items.

Thank you to all of the attendees and club members of GFWC Wyoming who donated to this very worthy cause.

Today women from Wyoming's Federation of Women's Clubs attended an historic ceremony at the Capital.  Renee Bovée received the Ambassador for Peace Medal from a representative of the Republic of Korea.  Renee recieved this medal on behalf of her mother Capt. Jonita R Bonham (1922-1944).  She is the first woman to be so honored as there were only 4800 women to serve in the Korean War.  She was also the first female recipient of the Distiguished Flying Cross for her courage.

On September 26, 1950, she was serving as a flight nurse with another nurse, Capt. Vera Brown, in a C54 cargo plane that had been converted into an emergency hospital. Bonham and Brown were two of three medical team members on the flight that day she learned that she was needed for an immediate evacuation flight. The weather was severe, but the medical crew, along with about 40 soldiers, boarded the Douglas C-54 Skymaster that was bound for Kimpo Air Base near Seoul, South Korea. The plan was to drop the soldiers off at the base and evacuate more wounded men. About a half-mile from shore the plane stalled, descended, and slammed into the Sea of Japan, breaking into three pieces and sinking.

Bonham, who was completely submerged in the aircraft, managed to fight her way to the surface, where she found herself swimming for her life in a sea churned up by high winds. She hung onto a floating barracks bag until she was able to grab a life raft rope. She stayed in the water, grabbing other survivors and guiding them to the rope. It was not until 17 of them were safe that she allowed herself to be pulled into one of two available rafts.

Once rescued, Bonham spent nine months in the hospital recovering from a fractured skull, broken wrist, cheekbone, shoulder and six broken ribs. She later became the first female recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and was later promoted to Captain.

GFWC Wyoming found out about this award during a recent visit to the Military Woman's Memorial.  The ceremony was attended by members from the Laramie Woman's Club, the XJWC and the Meadowlarks clubs.  GFWC has pledged to profile 500 women to add to the stories at the Memorial and we already have a good start with current Wyoming veterans telling of their service and two other past female veterans from Wyoming being added.  Perhaps we should make it our mission to find more of the women who served in Korea.

This was a very moving event and we are so proud of our Wyoming Women.

To find out more Home - Military Women's Memorial .

Lorraine Saulino-Klein, RN is a 2025 Women of Influence Nominee. Lorraine is also a GFWC- Laramie Woman's Club member,  owner of Snowy Range Foot Nurse (providing services at the Eppson Center for Seniors), and is a board member/educator for Laramie Cares Foundation, providing QPR (suicide prevention) trainings in our community.

LWC is pleased to have her input and participation in our Health & Wellness department. She crochets prayer shawls, which our club donates to the Cancer Center. Congratulations, Lorraine, on your nomination!