HELENA — On Thursday, Fort Harrison’s Montana Military Museum held a national award ceremony for Diane Carlson Evans, a local Vietnam veteran and founder of the Vietnam Women's Memorial.
Evans, a former U.S. Army captain and nurse, was presented with the Order of Military Merit award and recognized for her induction into the U.S. Army Foundation Hall of Fame.
(Watch Diane Carlson Evans be honored at Fort Harrison.)
The Merit Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate high integrity and strong moral character and are in the top 10 percent of their corps and field. During her service as an Army nurse, Evans played an important role in saving lives, specializing in combat casualty and burn care.
When she returned from Vietnam, Evans was disappointed to see the lack of appreciation and recognition for veterans, more specifically female veterans. Despite their service and sacrifices, female veterans faced many challenges, including the initial dismissal of PTSD in female veterans.
“I love the quote, 'persistence overcomes resistance," Evans said. "I persisted, and persisted, and no matter what, no matter what was said, no matter what the detractors, no matter how mean-spirited some people could be about the whole idea, I knew what I was doing was right.”
Following her return, Diane dedicated her life and career to veterans’ health, improving medical care, advocating for PTSD awareness, and shaping the future of battlefield medicine.
To honor what Evans calls her “sister veterans,” she created the Vietnam Women’s Memorial that has stood in Washington D.C. for over thirty years. Today, she continues to advocate for veterans, inspiring and pushing for constant improvement.
