Mae Bryant Marks 103rd Birthday at Madison VA

The Madison veteran, who volunteers weekly at the VA Hospital, was celebrated by volunteers and patients on her milestone day.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Awards

Mae Bryant Marks 103rd Birthday at Madison VA

Live Poll

Should local communities do more to honor and support aging WWII veterans?

Mae Bryant celebrated her 103rd birthday at the Madison VA Hospital, where she volunteers every Monday morning. Other volunteers and patients marked the occasion at the hospital.

Why it matters

Bryant's service as a World War II Army veteran and her continued volunteering offer a personal look at the wartime generation still contributing to local veterans' care in Madison.

Bryant enlisted in the Women's Army Corps in 1945 at age 22 and was sent to Germany as a physical therapist for soldiers. In 2024 she was the only female Veteran on a Badger Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., her first visit there since 1951.

The players

Mae Bryant

Mae Bryant is a World War II Women's Army Corps veteran who served as a physical therapist for soldiers in Germany and now volunteers at the Madison VA Hospital.

The details

Bryant, who volunteers at the Madison VA Hospital every Monday morning, turned 103 on a Monday and was celebrated by other volunteers and patients. She said she will keep volunteering at the hospital as long as they allow her to.

1945: Bryant enlisted in the Women's Army Corps at age 22.
2024: Bryant traveled on a Badger Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
Nov. 9, 2026: Bryant turned 103 and was celebrated at the hospital.

Culture Shift

Bryant's service in the Women's Army Corps during World War II places her among the women who served overseas as medical support during that conflict. Her continued volunteering at a VA hospital more than eight decades later reflects how wartime service has shaped civilian life for that generation.

Madison residents who want to support veterans can contact the Madison VA Hospital about volunteering opportunities. Bryant's example shows that the hospital welcomes long-term volunteers of any age.

The takeaway

Bryant's decades of service, from wartime duty to weekly volunteering, show how one person's commitment can span generations. Readers can honor local veterans by visiting or volunteering at their nearest VA facility.