Portrait project to shed light on female veterans

HARLINGEN — Know a female veteran who needs to be seen?

The Veterans Administration is looking for female veterans to participate in a portrait project that sheds light on the brave women of the Valley.

Today and continuing late next week, a small studio will be set up on the third floor of the Harlingen Health Care Center.

Veterans Administration public affairs officer Reynaldo Leal said the project aims to showcase the women in the area who served.

“We want to show who are veterans are and educate the community on what a veteran is,” Leal said.

According to Leal, women are the largest growing demographic in the military.

“We understand that women veterans play an important part,” Leal said.

Women participating in the photo shoot will be asked to sign a photo release form and fill out a questionnaire.

Photos will be displayed at the Health Care Center where Leal said the administration hopes to host a Women’s History Month ceremony.

Leal said he wants as much participation as possible.

He doesn’t have a certain goal for how many women he hopes to have participating, but he is trying to get connected to women veteran groups in the area.

“We’ve been wanting to start something that captures who our vets are,” Leal said. “We have been getting our resources together and this is the perfect opportunity to start a project like this.”