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Soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and a bugler from the U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” conduct military funeral honors for U.S. Army Sgt. Janice Montalto in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, Aug. 14, 2026.
In Sept. 1972, Montalto volunteered for the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) which was created during World War II to bring women into the all-male Army, placing women in noncombat roles to free men for combat duty. The WAC was part of the Army through the Korean War and Vietnam War until the Army disbanded the Corps in 1978 to better assimilate women into the ranks.
Montalto made the most of her WAC career, receiving an accelerated advancement to private E-2 within her first two months. An honor graduate from her Advanced Individual Training class, Montalto became one of the first women to serve in the Army’s Air Defense Artillery branch. As she rose in rank to sergeant, the Army gave her more responsibility. In April 1973, Montalto was put in charge of WAC barracks. In May 1976, she earned the Soldier of the Year award for the 69th Air Defense Artillery Group. Two months later, she earned the Army Commendation Medal.
During a tour of West Germany, Montalto met her future husband – Sgt. Jack Montalto. They married one month after her separation from WAC and went on to have three children: twins Nicholas and Michelle, and Jack Jr.
Jack Sr. passed away in December 1994 and was laid to rest in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery that same month. Montalto was laid to rest with him following her funeral service this day.
Montalto’s son, Nicholas (who entered military service himself and retired as a colonel in the U.S. Space Force) received the U.S. flag from his mother’s funeral service.
(U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery / released)
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.01.2026 15:44 |
| Photo ID: | 9904372 |
| VIRIN: | 260814-A-IW468-3694 |
| Resolution: | 5504x8256 |
| Size: | 9.31 MB |
| Location: | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 5 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Military Funeral Honors are Conducted for U.S. Army Sgt. Janice Montalto in Section 60 [Image 27 of 27], by Elizabeth Fraser, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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