7 Brave Women Who Gave Everything: Honoring Servicewomen Killed in Combat on Memorial Day

Alexa Bigwarfe

As a female veteran and founder of the Women in Publishing Summit, I am particularly interested in the stories of female service members. This Memorial Day, I went on a quest to find books about American Women killed in combat, and was surprised at how few there are. I had to dig deep to find numbers, information, and BOOKS about women who died in combat. Now, this is not terribly surprising, because women traditionally make up only a small percentage of the military, and a very small percentage of overall deaths. It’s only been in very recent years that women have served in all roles, including combat, which kept the death toll on the front lines lower. But not nonexistent.

But there have been some pretty heroic actions taken by women leading to their deaths, and it’s unfortunate that most of them haven’t had a book written about them. Maybe that’s our call to action.

Women have served the United States in war since the very beginning, serving vital roles in the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Women like Harriet Tubman risked her life as a nurse and scout in the Civil War, and also led the Combahee River Raid, freeing over 750 slaves.

Women have fought and died in all major wars and conflicts. Did you know in World War II, over 350,000 American women served? They weren’t in combat roles, yet over 400 American women were killed and 88 were taken prisoner.

34 American women died in the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, and the Gulf War.

Since 9/11, 153 American service women have been killed in support of OEF and OIF.

Of those, here are seven extraordinary women whose courage deserves to be remembered—and whose lives are worthy of books yet unwritten.

1. Lori Piestewa (1979–2003)

U.S. Army, Iraq War

The first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military, Lori Piestewa was a Hopi woman, a single mother of two, and a specialist in the Army’s 507th Maintenance Company. During an ambush near Nasiriyah, Iraq, Lori was fatally wounded while trying to escape with her convoy. Her quiet courage and sacrifice caught national attention, especially through the story of her friend and fellow soldier Jessica Lynch.

Legacy: Arizona renamed “Squaw Peak” to “Piestewa Peak” in her honor. Her story speaks to Indigenous service, motherhood in the military, and selfless sacrifice.

2. Elizabeth Jacobson (1984–2005)

U.S. Air Force, Iraq War

At just 21, Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson became the first female airman killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Assigned to convoy protection duty, she was killed by a roadside bomb near Camp Bucca. Known for her wit, loyalty, and strong sense of justice, Elizabeth’s death reshaped the conversation about the front-line danger faced by women in non-traditional roles.

Legacy: The Air Force established the “Elizabeth N. Jacobson Award for Expeditionary Excellence” in her memory.

3. Ashley White-Stumpf (1987–2011)

U.S. Army, Afghanistan

A member of the elite Cultural Support Team (CST), 1LT Ashley White worked alongside Army Rangers on special ops missions in Afghanistan. These women engaged directly with Afghan women and children in villages where male soldiers couldn’t enter. Ashley was killed during a night raid by an IED explosion in Kandahar.

Legacy: Though featured in the book Ashley’s War, Ashley deserves a full biography exploring her leadership, training, and the quiet revolution CST members led by operating in combat before the official lifting of the combat ban for women.

4. Hilda Clayton (1991–2013)

U.S. Army, Afghanistan

Combat photographer SPC Hilda Clayton was killed during a live-fire training exercise when a mortar exploded prematurely. She captured the exact moment of the explosion with her camera—an image later released by the Army with her family’s permission. Her story is one of both tragedy and stark testimony to the danger non-combat personnel face daily.

Legacy: A military journalism award was created in her name, recognizing excellence in visual storytelling.

5. Ramona Valdez (1984–2005)

U.S. Marine Corps, Iraq

Ramona, a Dominican-born Marine, was killed in a suicide bombing in Fallujah while working with a female search team—part of a program requiring female Marines to screen Iraqi women for weapons. She joined the military at 17 to help her mother and younger sister financially. She was just 20 when she died.

Legacy: Valdez Hall at Camp Lejeune bears her name. A biography could illuminate the story of Latina patriotism, post-9/11 sacrifice, and the quiet grit of women in war.

6. Jeannette Winters (1976–2002)

U.S. Marine Corps, Afghanistan

Sgt. Winters was one of the first U.S. servicewomen killed in Operation Enduring Freedom. A radio operator aboard a refueling plane, she died when the aircraft crashed in Pakistan. Raised in a tight-knit, patriotic family in Illinois, she was remembered for her discipline, loyalty, and unwavering sense of duty.

Legacy: While her story was briefly covered at the time, she has no published biography or major media tribute. A book on Jeannette could explore the early days of the war on terror and the quiet loss of military support personnel.

7. Megan McClung (1972–2006)

U.S. Marine Corps, Iraq

A major in the Marine Corps and former gymnast, Megan was known for her brilliance, physical strength, and fearless leadership. She was killed in an IED attack while escorting journalists in Ramadi. As the first female Marine officer killed in Iraq, she left behind a deep legacy of excellence and courage.

Legacy: Her favorite motto was “Be bold. Be brief. Be gone.” Scholarships and annual runs have been created in her honor. She’s frequently cited in military leadership circles—but still lacks a full-length biography.

Books Featuring Women Who Died in Combat or in the Line of Duty

1. Ashley’s War by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

About: 1LT Ashley White-Stumpf and the U.S. Army Cultural Support Teams (CSTs), women embedded with Special Operations in Afghanistan.
Why it fits: Ashley White was killed in action during a raid in Kandahar. The book honors her life and those of her CST teammates.

Before reading it, I was unaware of the Cultural Support Teams—elite teams of women embedded within Army Special Operations units in Afghanistan. These women, real women, weren’t there to make coffee or observe from the sidelines. They trained alongside Rangers. They went on missions. They gathered life-saving intelligence. And they were true badasses.

“I knew from the time I started the book that Ashley would not make it out of Afghanistan alive, but I kept hoping somehow the outcome would change by the time I finished.”

That’s the kind of book this is. One that grips you. One that inspires and educates. And one that leaves a piece of you with Ashley, long after you turn the last page.

This book nearly undid me. It’s an extremely powerful story of the women who serviced in combat in Afghanistan. If you want to be inspired, better educated about the role women play in combat, and moved by the life of a young woman who gave everything for her country, read this book.

2. Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq by Kirsten Holmstedt

About: Profiles 12 women in the U.S. military, including Leigh Ann Hester and Monica Lin Brown—both recipients of the Silver Star—and others who were injured or killed.
Why it fits: Includes stories of women who were killed or gravely wounded in Iraq.

3. I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story by Rick Bragg

About: The authorized biography of Jessica Lynch, who was captured in the same 2003 ambush that killed Lori Piestewa.
Why it fits: While centered on Lynch, Lori’s death is a major part of the narrative.

⚠️ Books That Should Exist (But Don’t Yet)

The following women died in service and have no dedicated book, but their stories are powerful and deserve future biographies or tributes:

• Lori Piestewa – First Native American woman killed in combat

• Elizabeth Jacobson – First female airman killed in Iraq

• Hilda Clayton – Combat photographer killed during live-fire training

• Ramona Valdez – Young Dominican-American Marine killed in Fallujah

• Megan McClung – First female Marine officer killed in Iraq

• Jeannette Winters – First U.S. servicewoman killed in Operation Enduring Freedom

The role of fiction

Sometimes, fiction tells the truth even louder than fact. There are many, many novels that tell the stories of women in combat. Kristin Hannah’s The Women is a sweeping, emotional novel that brings attention to a group too often left out of Vietnam War history: the women who served. Through the fictional story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath, an Army nurse, Hannah unflinchingly portrays the trauma, patriotism, and isolation that many real-life military women experienced—not only during the war but upon returning home to silence and dismissal.

If Ashley’s War broke my heart, The Women gave it context. Together, they tell a story of valor, vulnerability, and voices that must be heard.

This book is fiction, yes. But it’s based on deep research and real histories. It confronts the erasure of women’s service and asks us to consider what it costs when a nation forgets its daughters. Many other novels have been written about the role of women in wars and conflict, and they help us to remember the roles and sacrifices that women have made.

“Women can be heroes. Some of the strongest, bravest, most honorable fighters wear braids under their helmets.”

Who among us will take the charge to write their stories?

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