1866: First Black woman to enlist in the Army
The birthday celebrations for Millie Dunn Veasey of Raleigh, North Carolina.
On January 31, 2018, the World War II veteran turned 100 years old. Veasey belonged to a battalion of all African American women, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
Veasey lived in her long-time Raleigh home. There have been a few recent additions, like an electric chair lift to help her get up and down the stairs.
In 1966, Veasey hosted Martin Luther King Jr. at her sister’s home but says one of her grandest memories was meeting President Barack Obama 50 years later.
Millie Dunn Veasey to be Inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame
The late Millie Dunn Veasey (Class of 1953), who served in the only all-black, all-female battalion stationed overseas during World War II, will be among those inducted into the 2018 Raleigh Hall of Fame, Sunday, November 4, 2018, at the Raleigh Convention Center, on Salisbury Street, in downtown Raleigh.
Veasey’s trailblazing story was covered by local and major media outlets, including the New York Times.
Following graduation from then-Saint Augustine’s College, she taught in the State of Virginia before returning to Saint Augustine’s to serve as the Executive Secretary for Dr. James A. Boyer and Dr. Prezell R. Robinson. Ms. Veasey would later reach another first, by becoming the first woman to lead the Raleigh Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP).