Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) given Congressional Gold Medal - pics

[Kadie]

WASHINGTON - MARCH 10: Deanie Parrish (C) of Waco Texas, accepts the Congressional Gold Medal while flanked by House Minority Leader John Boehner (L), Sen. Harry Reid (2nd R) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)(R), during a ceremony at the US Capitol on March 10, 2010 in Washington, DC. The ceremony was held to honor the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) of WWII. The WASP was a pioneering organization of civilian female pilots employed to fly military aircrafts under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.


Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) member Betty Wall Strohfus talks with Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz during a medal ceremony in the Capitol in Washington March 10, 2010. The Congressional Gold Medal was given to WASP members in recognition for their contribution during World War Two as the first women to fly U.S. military planes. Strohfus holds a copy of the wartime book "Gremlins" about sprites who sabotage airplanes.


WASHINGTON - MARCH 10: Pilot Millicent Young of Colorado Springs, Co. attends a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony at the US Capitol on March 10, 2010 in Washington, DC. The ceremony was held to honor the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) of WWII. The WASP was a pioneering organization of civilian female pilots employed to fly military aircrafts under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.


Anna Monkiewicz of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) attends a medal ceremony held in their honor in the Capitol in Washington March 10, 2010. The Congressional Gold Medal was given to WASP members in recognition for their contribution during World War Two as the first women to fly U.S. military planes.


Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) members listen to speakers during a medal ceremony held in their honor in the Capitol in Washington March 10, 2010. The Congressional Gold Medal was given to WASP members in recognition for their contribution during WWII as the first women to fly U.S. military planes.

*****

WASP female aviators from WWII to receive Congressional Gold Medal at Capitol Hill ceremony
By KIMBERLY HEFLING , Associated Press
Last update: March 10, 2010 - 12:16 PM


WASHINGTON - A long-overlooked group of women who flew aircraft during World War II were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday.

Known as Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, they were the first women to fly U.S. military planes.

About 200 of these women aviators, mostly in their late 80s and early 90s and some in wheelchairs, came to the Capitol to accept the medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.

snip...
"Over 65 years ago we each served our country without any expectation of recognition or glory and we did it without compromising the values that we were taught growing up ... We did it because our country needed us," Parrish said.

Thirty-eight WASPS were killed in service. But they were long considered civilians, not members of the military, and thus were not entitled to the pay and benefits given to the men. When their unit was disbanded in 1944, many even had to pay their own bus fare home from a Texas airfield.

They were afforded veteran status in 1977 after a long fight.


more...
http://www.startribune.com/politics/87221747.html


:patriot:

[sarge43]

1. About time.

Thank you, ladies. We owe you.

:patriot:

[DURHAM D]

2. Thanks for posting.

I don't expect many to understand but this made we weep.

[Kadie]

14. .

:hug:

[dmr]

3. This recognition for their vital & invaluable service is long overdue.

Thank you for your service!
:)

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Fantastic!

I love seeing this - their stories are amazing. As a woman, I appreciate everything they did to help me get to where I am today. :loveya:

[Captain Hilts]

5. No G.I. Bill. No veterans' benefits. Nothing. Just because they're women. Sucks. nt

[Froward69]

6. .

:patriot:

[Joe Chi Minh]

7. The article doesn't tell you half the story. Apparently, they could be called upon to fly any type

of plane at pretty much a moment's notice, I believe, and didn't have any armaments or even normal navigational aids; flying by sight! A hair-raising job that required extraordinary bravery.

And if I'm not mistaken, they were all volunteers! I know ours were, and I'm pretty sure yours would have been.

[sarge43]

10. They were all volunteers. n/t

[asjr]

8. A good friend of our family ferried planes

to England day or night. It was such a grueling task but patriotism back then was number one in this country. She is too ill to have attended the ceremonies. Her husband was in the Air Force and she wanted to do her duty also.

[sarge43]

11. Give your friend our deepest thanks. n/t

[Renew Deal]

9. Some stooge unrecced this thread.

And I'm being polite about the kind of lowlife that would do that.

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. Boy, does that Unrec remind me of that Lily Tomlin quip: "No matter how cynical you become,

it's never enough to keep up." With the enormity of the folly some people display, you have to laugh, actually.

[bertman]

18. I'm hoping it was one of those "slip of the digit" things. I've done it twice when I wasn't

focused. Embarrassing, but thank goodness no one knew it was I.

P.S. did I mention how much I hate that fucking UNREC feature?

[whistler162]

12. Finally!!!

If you subscribe to Audible there is a nice interview available.

http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/enSearch/searchResults.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0412371320.1268260373@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccladejlfeelidcefecekjdffidfgo.0&Ntk=S_Narrator&Ntt=The+WASP's&N=0

[bridgit]

15. Bout time, a great bunch of Ladies

[hankthecrank]

16. Should have been done a long time ago!

Hats off to some very brave lady fliers

sounds like we didn't give them the benefits they should have gotten

just read that we made them pay for their bus ride home, no we didn't do right at all.

I heard a NPR story from a bomber pilot that flew their airplane over to England. He said that the trip over was as bad as flying over Germany. So all the more credit do these fine ladies.

[AwakeAtLast]

17. Congrats to these wonderful ladies!

My great-aunt was a WAC and she had many stories to tell. She doesn't remember much anymore, she's past 90 and pretty frail. It is nice to see women who contributed so much get the recognition they deserve!

[bertman]

19. What a GREAT story!! Thank you for posting this, Kadie. Rec.