“Vanquishing The Invisible”
An Independent Portrait Project by James R Morrison and J Mara Morrison
Vanquishing The Invisible will be displayed at the California State Fair during Military and
Veteran Appreciation Day, July 18th continuing on July 19th in the Fine Arts Building 7.
Thank you for your interest in “Vanquishing the Invisible”. From the beginning, you recognized the value and importance of bringing these portraits and stories to the public. We truly appreciate your support and we look forward to seeing you at a future event.
Yesenia Henshall Perez
U.S. Army
I am the first female, as well as the first member of my family to join the military. I served in the U.S. Army from 2008 to 2012. Before joining, I was unsuccessfully attempting to attend college and work full time. I was not sure what to expect from the military, but I knew that I would have an opportunity to better myself and grow as a person.
I entered the Army as a 92G, Food Service Specialist because cooking has always been a passion of mine. Although I did learn a lot about cooking for an army, it was not my most memorable experience. During my deployment to Iraq, 2008-2009, I did very little cooking and instead served as 42B Machine Gun Operator on daily convoy missions. After returning from deployment, my duties changed to 42A, Human Resources Specialist, for the final two years of my service.
I was able to take some college courses during my service while I continued working towards my degree using my GI Bill. I earned my Bachelors in Business Administration and Human Resources. Recently I was accepted into the MBA program to continue my education at Brandman University. An accomplishment I never dreamed possible before entering the military.
As a Woman Veteran, I struggled to transition out of the military. Through this time in my life, I knew I wanted to continue to serve in some capacity. One of the greatest challenges I have encountered is that women are not perceived as Veterans. As a Combat Veteran, I felt the need to bring that to light and started my own business and brand; creating products that women can wear to show their military pride. In order to serve my fellow Women Veterans, I became the Chapter Director for Women Veterans Alliance of Nevada County. It gave me the opportunity to keep pushing forward and help other Women Veterans find their way to reintegration as well as success.
We received the highest praise on the surveys and in personal comments affirming this project touches viewers in a deep and profound way. Their use of words like, “powerful”, “enlightening”, “passionate”, “thought-provoking”, and (we really liked this one) “take it national” reinforces our belief in this critically important exhibit.
However, “Vanquishing the Invisible” cannot continue - or grow - its outreach without your support. We would be honored if you would take a moment to help fund this project.
There’s so much more we can accomplish if we do it together. Your support will help others attend future exhibits and continue the outreach to new audiences.
If you would like to honor Women Veterans and help educate future generations on the legacy of women in the military, please DONATE
“Women Veterans are often assumed to be spouses of a veteran. We are on a mission to change that assumption. Working together, we can not only change perceptions but bring to light the vast achievements and contributions our women veterans make every day. Impacting a woman veteran’s life not only positively changes her life, but also her family’s and the community in which she lives.” Melissa Washington, Founder of Women Veterans Alliance
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