Just four of thousands of Los Angeles County women who served in the U.S. military:
Top Left: U.S. Air Force Lt. General Stayce Harris of Los Angeles (USAF photo). In 2001, first African American woman to command a flying squadron;
Top Right: U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Delia Quintero of Los Angeles, with 82nd Airborne Division (photo by Spc. David Nye);
Bottom Left: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2 Natalia Grijalva of North Hollywood, on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ronald Reagan (photo by PO3 Shawn Stewart);
Bottom Right: U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Ana Martinez of Los Angeles, training on Parris Island, South Carolina (photo by Cpl. Caitlin Brink).
The U.S. Census estimates that, in 2023, there were 203,231 civilian U.S. military veterans living in Los Angeles County. Of that number, 18,304, or 9 percent, were women. Women veterans in Los Angeles County made up the fifth largest female veteran population among U.S. counties (following Bexar County in Texas, Maricopa County in Arizona, San Diego County and Harris County in Texas).
Where not otherwise noted, data are 2023 U.S. Census 1-Year Estimates
| Age Group | Number | Percent of All Female Veterans |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 18,304 | 100.0% |
| 18 to 34 Years | 2,896 | 15.8% |
| 35 to 54 Years | 6,896 | 37.7% |
| 55 to 64 Years | 3,563 | 19.5% |
| 65 to 74 Years | 2,323 | 12.7% |
| 75 Years & Over | 2,626 | 14.3% |
Where not otherwise noted, data are 2023 U.S. Census 1-Year Estimates
| Race | Number | Percent of All Female Veterans |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian & Alaska Native Alone | 365 | 2.0% |
| Asian Alone | 1,918 | 10.5% |
| Black or African American Alone | 5,224 | 28.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone* | 236 | 1.4% |
| White Alone, Not Hispanic or Latino | 5,905 | 32.3% |
| Some Other Race Alone | 2,412 | 13.2% |
| Two or More Races | 1,809 | 9.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino of Any Race | 3,650 | 19.9% |
* Census 1-year estimates are not calculated for geographic/category populations smaller than a certain threshold. Figures for this category are 2022 5-year census estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Also see: Susan Ahn Cuddy, Navy's First Asian American Female Naval Officer.
Photo from the Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive at UCLA Library.
1942. At the start of America's involvement in World War II, these were the first women from the Los Angeles area accepted for officer training in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) . Captain Robert L. Woods administers the oath to (left to right) Madelyn Miller, Anna W. Wilson, Dorothea Wilson, Emily Davis, Kathryn Johnson and Emily Hathaway.
Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive at the Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
1968. Group portrait of seventeen U.S. Air Force women enlistees and recruiters in Los Angeles.
