Jeepers! California-based nonprofit, Pin-Ups for Vets, has completed production on its 19th annual calendar filled with the cat’s meow, the bee’s knees, the ginchiest, brickiest 1940s-style ladies who will leave your berries razzed. Better yet, funds raised go to VA hospitals, injured and homeless veterans, deployed troops and military spouses.
The 2025 calendar features 13 female veterans who traded in their military gear for WWII-era dresses and hairdos. In total, the veterans share 117 years of military service in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard — and one of them is an Oak Harbor local.
Jennifer Horn joined the Army in 2002 with a desire to be something bigger than herself, she said, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, father and brother. She was first stationed at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, where she worked on the motors of M113 armored personnel carriers, M577 command post carriers and Humvees. Attached to the HHT 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment “Blackhorse” Opposing Forces, she prepared soldiers for battle.
In January of 2005, Horn’s unit was deployed to Mosul, Iraq, and in April they came under heavy mortar attack. One exploded in front of Horn, piercing her body with shrapnel and temporarily blinding her. Shrapnel lodged all over her body, she couldn’t walk, and another soldier carried her to the aid station on his back.
From there, she was sent to Germany and then the U.S. for surgery, where she became the first female in the history of her unit to receive the Purple Heart.
This was her most valuable memory of serving, she said, when her unit came together to protect one another on the night of the attack.
“The relationship amongst military personnel is unlike any other,” she said. “No other bond compares to the bond you make in combat.”
Today, she is a nurse in Oak Harbor, influenced by the medical treatment she received after the blast. Horn is working toward her Master of Nursing degree to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and work with veterans experiencing mental health challenges.
Horn heard about Pin-Ups for Vets through one of her friends. Looking for ways to stay connected and express her appreciation to fellow veterans, she applied and was selected.
“Pin-up-style babes bringing smiles to veterans? I’m in,” she said.
Pin-up models harken back to 1940s femininity, photos of celebrities and models to hang in lockers. Classic examples show pin-up girls plastered on WWII aircraft and torpedo boats.
A stark contrast from her service uniform, Horn was done-up in red lipstick and nail polish, a navy polka-dotted dress and shoes to match.
“Oh my gosh. I would never wear this dress,” she said, “but it was really fun.”
Pin-Ups for Vets has donated over $120,000 to new rehabilitation equipment in VA hospitals nationwide, and volunteers have visited over 20,000 ill and injured veterans, delivering gifts to veterans in all 50 states.
Founder Gina Elise was gifted the Volunteer of the Year award by the Los Angeles Business Journal, appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and in the 2010 movie “Red” with Bruce Willis, where she showed her pin-up in a locker in the CIA headquarters.
After carrying the soldier identity for so long, Pin-Ups gives veterans a chance to give back and be part of the culture again. Some female soldiers have felt the need to suppress their femininity in a male-dominant field. Pin-Ups for Vets strives to mix beauty, brains and bravery, filling a calendar with women with heroic stories.
To Horn, it was all about comradery: staying active in the veteran community, keeping fingers on the pulse of veteran concerns and supporting her fellow veterans.
Order a calendar at pinupsforvets.com.
Jennifer Horn, a Purple Heart veteran, poses for the 2025 Pin-Ups for Vets Calendar. (Photo provided)
(Photo provided) Jennifer Horn, a Purple Heart veteran, poses for the 2025 Pin-Ups for Vets Calendar.
Jennifer Horn, an Oak Harbor resident, became the first woman in the history of her unit to receive the Purple Heart.
Jennifer Horn, an Oak Harbor resident, became the first woman in the history of her unit to receive the Purple Heart.
Jennifer Horn, an Oak Harbor resident, became the first woman in the history of her unit to receive the Purple Heart.
Jennifer Horn, an Oak Harbor resident, became the first woman in the history of her unit to receive the Purple Heart.
Jennifer Horn, an Oak Harbor resident, became the first woman in the history of her unit to receive the Purple Heart.
Jennifer Horn, an Oak Harbor resident, became the first woman in the history of her unit to receive the Purple Heart.
