Doctor Kate Hendricks-Thomas, U.S. Marine Corps Military Police Officer: In 2018, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer believed to be connected to burn pit exposure in Iraq. In the years since, Kate Hendricks-Thomas tirelessly advocated for herself and other veterans trying to obtain health care and benefits for exposure-related illnesses. Doctor Kate Hendricks Thomas died Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at the age of 42. RESOURCES / REFERENCES ⁠Remembering Kate Thomas: Marine Corps Vet, Champion of Burn Pit Legislation Dies from Breast Cancer⁠ | 7 April 2022 | ⁠Hannah Ray Lambert⁠ | Coffee or Die Magazine | https://coffeeordie.com/ A female former Marine speaks out about nude photos of servicewomen | 8 March 2017 · 3:45 PM EST | By Rachel Gotbaum & Joyce Hackel https://theworld.org/stories Book on Amazon: ⁠Invisible Veterans: What Happens When Military Women Become Civilians Again⁠ Combining research with narrative, this book exposes common threads of lived experience and reviews the latest data on military women and their healthy reintegration into civilian society. Female veterans share their stories of seeking to be seen in a culture where they don't quite fit and their struggles to find community and friendship. Some fought during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as the first women in combat in American history. How and where, for example, does a female combat Marine find her tribe once she leaves the service? Through the stories of these courageous yet entirely human women, readers learn about the experiences of a new and often forgotten generation of veterans; about the challenges surrounding family and career choices that millions of American women face; and ultimately, about sacrifice, resiliency, loss, and love. This book will inform readers with an interest in female veterans and women's health and mental health issues, as well as researchers, students, and professionals working in fields encompassing women's psychology, health, and social work. Photos courtesy of Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas/Facebook. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mettle-of-honor/message