Meredith McQuagge laughs when asked how she came to be elected commander of the local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
“I just think it was a matter of doing things,” she said. “You get to where you’re doing so much. You know what they say: ‘The reward for hard work is more work.’ ”
McQuagge, who lives in Valparaiso with her Air Force husband and 2-year-old son, joined Chapter 811 two years ago. She was injured by shrapnel in Iraq in July 2008 and left the Army a year later.
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Bill Everett, regional commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, said the membership loves having McQuagge step into the position.
“They all want to have new direction, new young leadership,” he said. “They want the Iraqi veterans, Afghanistan veterans to step up to the plate. They have new ideas to carry the MOPH even farther than it’s been.
“It was a great day when they elected her,” Everett added. “It’s going to be very good.”
McQuagge, who was elected and sworn in to her new position Saturday, said she hadn’t really thought much about breaking ground as a female commander.
“I never thought I’d be the first woman anything,” she said.
McQuagge added that she hoped she was paving the way for more women to be involved at higher levels in service organizations that help ensure the well-being of veterans.
The bulk of the local chapter’s membership is comprised of veterans from Korea, World War II and Vietnam. McQuagge said she is continuing to encourage younger veterans to join.
Her focus for the chapter is to expand service projects and to help local wounded veterans on a more personal level.
“On the local level, that’s what we should be about — embracing your local community,” she said. “Small things build bigger things.
“I may not be able to help everybody in the country, but I can help people here.”
Daily News Staff Writer Wendy Victora can be reached at 850-315-4478 or wvictora@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @WendyVnwfdn.