The Military Nursing Corps of Pennsylvania VFW Post 12099, Allentown, recently honored Valley native, Allentown School of Nursing graduate and this nation’s first woman general, Brig. Gen. Anna Mae Hays.

Hays died Jan. 7 in Virginia at the age of 97.

Post 12099 presented a $500 check toward the Brig. Gen. Anna Mae McCabe Hays Endowed Scholarship at Northampton Community College to support veterans majoring in nursing.

Joining the presentation were Catherine DeHart, planned and major gift officer at NCC Foundation and Doris Kressly, Hays’ niece and the individual who established the endowment.

Kressly served as an adjunct professor at the college for many years.

Post 12099 is now petitioning the state and national VFWs to change the Post’s name to the Brig. Gen. Anna Mae V. McCabe Hays VFW Post 12099.

Hays consented to this honor in 2009 when Post 12099 was founded.

Under VFW guidelines, a Post cannot be named after a living person unless they are a Medal of Honor recipient.