President Barack Obama signs S.614 in the Oval Office July 1 at the White House. The bill awards a Congressional Gold Medal to Women Airforce Service Pilots. The WASP program was established during World War II, and from 1942 to 1943, more than 1,000 women joined, flying 60 million miles of noncombat military missions. Of the women who received their wings as Women Airforce Service Pilots, approximately 300 are living today. (Official White House photo/Pete Souza)
From AFLink...
7/2/2009 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- A dedicated group of patriotic female pilots were recognized by President Barack Obama July 1 at the White House for their invaluable service to the nation more than 60 years ago.Those are just the first few grafs of the news article and I suggest you read the whole thing, Gentle Reader. This long overdue recognition is a classic case of "better late than never," but earlier... like in the 1960s or so... would have been MUCH better. I won't belabor the obvious, but it's a damned shame so many of these brave women went to their reward not knowing that their country had finally given them their due.
Women's Airforce Service Pilots Elaine Danforth Harmon, Bernice Falk Haydu and Lorraine H. Rodgers were joined by five female current Air Force pilots in the White House Oval Office to witness the president sign into law a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the WASP.
"The Women Airforce Service Pilots courageously answered their country's call in a time of need while blazing a trail for the brave women who have given and continue to give so much in service to this nation since," President Obama said. "Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve."
The WASP was established during World War II with the primary mission of flying noncombat military missions in the United States, thus freeing their male counterparts for combat missions overseas. They were the first women ever to fly American military aircraft and they flew almost every type of aircraft operated by the Army Air Force during World War II, logging more than 60 million miles.
More: I posted on the WASPs' final formal gathering in October of last year; their web page is here; and here's what The Wiki sez.
God Bless you, Ladies. And thank you.
About time! I'm a volunteer docent at the National WWII Museum here in NOLA and, with my school group tours, I always stop at the posters recruiting women to the services and explain. The kids don't really understand why it was such a big deal to have women in the military or auxiliaries back then -- maybe that's a good thing?
ReplyDeleteVery nice! I've passed it on to many of my female military and former-military friends, including the Dykes On Bikes (many of whom are former military, natch). : )
ReplyDeleteMoogie: I'm thinking it IS a good thing the kids don't understand, especially the girls. We've seen a lot of change happen in our lives, haven't we? And some of it has been good! :D
ReplyDeleteLori: Thanks for sending this on.
There is a one volume book (published in the 70s IIRC) whose title I don't remember that is a history of the the female ferry pilots with lots of quotes from many of the surviving members--a very interesting read.
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