(KSEE) – Navy veteran Jacque Tripp accomplished a personal goal when she was selected to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during the 32nd Central Valley Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
Tripp, who served in the Navy from 1975 to 1979, was among 73 veterans on the Honor Flight, a program that takes veterans to the nation’s capital to visit monuments and memorials. This trip was particularly significant for Tripp, who faced numerous challenges as a woman in the military during the 1970s.
“I’m blessed. I am totally blessed and I’m just so honored to be a part of all of this,” Tripp said about her participation in the Honor Flight.
“Today was just mind-blowing. I would have never imagined to be selected to do what they asked me to do. It was a complete surprise and a total honor,” Tripp said after laying the wreath.
Tripp enlisted in the Navy inspired by her father, both veterans themselves. Her military career began in 1975, but she quickly encountered resistance in the male-dominated environment.
Initially assigned to the USS Constitution, she was redirected to Japan due to restrictions on women serving aboard the historic ship. In Japan, she worked as a librarian and career counselor.
Later, Tripp was stationed at Naval Submarine Base Bangor in Washington State, where she served as a radio operator and was the only enlisted woman. Due to objections from officers’ wives, she was reassigned as a message runner.
Despite these challenges, Tripp completed her service with the Navy’s Construction Battalion, known as the Seabees.
The Honor Flight provided Tripp with an opportunity to reflect on her experiences and find healing. “I never realized how much pain I carried because I didn’t go to Vietnam even though I was in the Vietnam era,” she said.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by Nexstar. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by Nexstar staff before being published.
