In 1958, at the age of 17, a friend took Evelyn Toskin to a recruiting office and not long after, her tour of duty was underway with the U.S.  Navy. 

She was sent to dental school in San Diego and became a dental technician.
 
She was assigned to the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Washington D.C.
 
"You know what," said Evelyn. "You didn't have to be in Vietnam to be exposed to the horrors of that war." 
 
Evelyn Toskin had first-hand experience; she was working as an assistant in oral surgery at Bethesda Naval Hospital when an injured soldier arrived with a serious jaw injury after being wounded in combat.
 
Evelyn recently took a trip from Erie with Warriors to Washington and visited the Vietnam Memorial in D.C., a reminder of the sacrifice.
 
"It took decades before the vital role women played in Vietnam, was recognized," said Evelyn. 
      
Evelyn spent three years in the military and later in life married a Marine.
 
Her husband Frank Toskin passed away in 2021.
 
She volunteered at the Erie V.A. For 17 years and still is involved in many local veteran activities.