June Anderson, 86, of Butler checks out her makeup prior to her photo shoot Saturday for the "We Are Not Invisible" event at the the Butler Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Anderson served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1952 to 1954.

About 70 women veterans gathered Saturday to demonstrate to their community and each other that their role in American military history matters.

A nationwide campaign called “I Am Not Invisible” came to the Butler Veterans Affairs Health Care System to spread a visibility effort. The campaign involves community events where female veterans gather to share stories and pose for photographs by Gene Russell, a primary photographer for the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Karen Dunn, a health promotion & disease prevention program manager for Butler's VA system, organized Saturday's effort after attending a similar event in Pittsburgh. She said she was floored by the participation.

This is an excerpt from a story that appears in Tuesday's Butler Eagle.