WASP's Flew Fighters, Bombers, Transport, And Training
Aircraft
President Barack Obama has signed a bill to award the
Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Air Force Service Pilots of
World War II, the first women in American history to fly military
aircraft.
More than 60 years ago, they piloted fighter, bomber, transport
and training aircraft with the primary mission of flying noncombat
military missions in the United States, thus freeing their male
counterparts for combat missions. But their contribution went
largely unrecognized for years; they were not even acknowledged
with veteran status until 1977.
"The Women Air Force 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," 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."
From 1942 to 1943, more than 1,000 women joined the unit, and 38
of them made the ultimate sacrifice in performing its mission. This
legislation, which passed the Senate and House in recent months,
confers proper recognition on the women's achievements, its
sponsors said.
"The Women Air Force Service Pilots of World War II are
trailblazers and true patriots," U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD),
said. "They risked their lives in service to our nation, but for
too long their contribution to the war effort has been undervalued
or under recognized."
After the Senate passed the bill May 20, Mikulski issued a news
release hailing its successful journey on Capitol Hill. "I am so
pleased both houses of Congress have now come together to right
this wrong, and to finally give these courageous women the proper
recognition they deserve," she said in the release.
The female pilots faced overwhelming cultural and gender bias
against women serving in nontraditional roles and overcame
injustice to serve their country, the Senate bill states. Enduring
through adversity, the bill continues, these pilots became a
catalyst for revolutionary reform in the integration of women
pilots into the U.S. military.
The Women Air Force Service Pilots, known collectively as WASPs,
participated in instructor piloting, towing targets for air-to-air
gunnery practice, ground-to-air anti-aircraft practice and
transporting personnel and cargo, among other tasks. In total, the
women flew more than 60 million miles on American missions.
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), a co-sponsor of the House
version of the bill, said the legislation recognizes the women's
sacrifice.
"Today, this Congress has recognized their sacrifice and
considers them all heroes because these trailblazers and true
patriots served our country without question and with no
expectations of recognition or praise," she said following the June
16 House passage. "That is what being a true hero is all about.
"This bill honors mothers, grandmothers, teachers, office
workers, nurses, business women, photographers, [and] dancers. One
was even a nun," she added. "But before that, they were pilots for
the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II."
The ground breaking steps taken by the WASP unit paved the way
for hundreds of U.S. servicewomen to serve as combat pilots and fly
fighter aircraft in recent conflicts, a White House news release
states.