Event Scheduled For March 8

Women in Uniform will be celebrated at the third annual free family day on Saturday, March 8, 2008 at the International Women's Air & Space Museum. The museum will celebrate Women's History Month with a day of activities saluting women aviators in uniform, from the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of WWII to today's heroes.

Several WASP will also be on hand, to share their experiences during the war with guests.

"This is a wonderful and rare opportunity to meet amazing women who made sacrifices for their country during World War II," said Toni Mullee, IWASM Executive Director. 

Sarah Byrn Rickman, author of the new book, "Nancy Love & the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II," will speak with guests about the program that included 1,102 women who served their country as civilian pilots in the Army Airforce. The visiting WASP will participate in a panel discussion, giving museum visitors the opportunity to learn more about their experiences ferrying planes, towing targets and instructing pilots during the war.

Guests can "Become a WASP" through a new game developed by the museum for Family Day. IWASM will also be officially unveiling the newest component of the permanent Women Airforce Service Pilots exhibit at the museum. The new piece is a tribute to the 38 WASP who lost their lives in service to the country during World War II.

Visitors can also enjoy a series of historical character presentations featuring famous women aviators by student actors from Beaumont School. Weather permitting, IWASM plans to have several airplanes on the ramp at Burke Lakefront Airport that guests can check out and has many other aviation games and crafts planned for museum visitors.

Also scheduled for this day is a special presentation to the museum by NASA officials of an IWASM patch that flew on the space shuttle Discovery in 2007 with Pam Melroy, retired Air Force Colonel and only the second woman commander of a space shuttle.

Support for this year's event is coming from Dominion Foundation, Continental Airlines, Cleveland Women's Journal, and Ohio Humanities Council, a state affiliate for the National Endowment for the Humanities. The museum is a recipient of funding from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

The International Women's Air & Space Museum is located in the Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL) terminal building, 1501 N. Marginal Road. Museum admission is free and exhibits are open 8:00 am-8:00 pm daily.

FMI: www.iwasm.org