WASP's get Gold Medals

http://www.military.com/news/article...tml?ESRC=eb.nl

August 30, 2009
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

The three former Women Air Force Service Pilots who retired to South Florida were among the more than 1,100 female pilots who logged 60 million miles in non-combat missions between 1942 and 1943. Their primary mission was to protect U.S. coasts, freeing up male pilots to fight combat missions abroad.

After decades of taking a back seat to their true legacy as skilled pilots and gender barrier pioneers, these female pilots finally received the recognition they deserved:

The Congressional Gold Medal.

"I'm just overwhelmed," said Frances Rohrer Sargent, 90. "We didn't do it to get that. We just liked to fly."

Sargent was joined by Ruth Shafer Fleisher, 87, at Saturday's ceremony at Wings Over Miami Air Museum in which U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen presented the three South Florida pilots with original copies of the bill honoring the WASPs signed by President Barack Obama this summer.

The third pilot, Helen Wyatt Snapp, 91, was recovering from an illness and did not attend the ceremony.

The women were part of the first group of female pilots ever to fly war planes. Although they flew non-combat missions, their service was deadly: 38 female pilots died while protecting U.S. coasts from enemy invasions.

Yet their patriotic contributions went largely unrecognized for decades. They weren't eligible for U.S. veterans' status until 1977 and they were never awarded full military status.
300 Still Alive

Only about 300 original WASPs are alive today, most of them well into their 80s.

Ros-Lehtinen, who along with other female lawmakers pushed the legislation forward, said the WASPs now join the ranks of the Navajo Code Talkers and the Tuskegee Airmen, who at the time of their service were discriminanted against because of their race.

"What's most inspiring is knowing that they never did it to break any barriers or change histroy," Ros-Lehtinen said. "They just loved to fly and wanted to do so in defense of our country."
Started at 13

Sargent and Fleisher didn't just like to fly, they were born to fly.

Fleisher, the daughter of an airplane mechanic who later managed an airport in Rochester, N.Y., started logging flights as early as age 13. She said she flew "anything she could."

During her service, Fleisher tested AT-6 warbirds. After the WASPs were disbanded in 1944, she got a commission to join the Air Force as second lieutenant and retired in the Air Force Reserve as a major. She later became one of the first women to work in a control tower at Philadelphia International Airport.

Sargent started piloting in her early 20s in her native Little Rock, Ark., but once she caught the flying bug she didn't stop until well into her 70s.

During the war, Sargent flew along North Carolina's shores, on the lookout for enemy ships, submarines and planes. She later joined the Air Force Reserves and spent 30 years teaching aviation at Miami Dade College.

One of her students, 68-year-old Judy Portnoy, called Sargent "the most amazing person I know."

Both Fleisher and Sargent moved to South Florida about four decades ago.

Fleisher manages a three-acre avocado grove in Homestead and Sargent lives in a retirement home in Old Cutler Bay.

Both Widowed

They were both married and later widowed. Sargent has three children.

Growing up in a time when jobs for women were often limited to office jobs, nursing and teaching, Fleisher and Sargent are aware they were trailblazers.

"It was hard because people didn't think about women flying," said Sargent. "But we didn't care, we did what we wanted to do."

Fleisher agreed and said they proved all their doubters wrong.

"We, as some of the first women pilots, proved that we could fly military airplanes and do a good and decent job," Fleisher said.

[Team Sergeant]

Congrats Ladies.

military.com is about a month behind. The medal was approved July 1st 2009.

http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/h...goldMedal.html


Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII (‘WASP’) July 1, 2009 P.L. 111-40 123 Stat. 1958

[Gypsy]

Congrats and thank you, Ladies.

[VAKEMP]

These pilots have my utmost respect and appreciation. Their humility speaks volumes about their true character and commitment to this nation.

They are a true inspiration to all Americans.

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by VAKEMP

These pilots have my utmost respect and appreciation. Their humility speaks volumes about their true character and commitment to this nation.

They are a true inspiration to all Americans.

Very well stated,couldn't have said it any better......

Big Teddy

Originally Posted by VAKEMP

These pilots have my utmost respect and appreciation. Their humility speaks volumes about their true character and commitment to this nation.

They are a true inspiration to all Americans.

"I loved flying and just wanted to fly planes" says it all for me. Many were 'test pilots', towed targets so our gunners could practice, flew coast watch, or ferried planes from one base to another. My dad flew with many WASP's. He told me they were some of the best pilots he knew.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%2...rying_Squadron (has some great links at the end)

http://waspmuseum.org/

http://wingsacrossamerica.us/wings/

[Richard]

'Bout time!

FWIW - their archives are located at Texas Woman's University in Denton.

http://www.twu.edu/library/wasp.asp

http://www.twu.edu/library/wasp_tour.asp

Richard

[Warrior-Mentor]

Happy to say that there's a number of Military Congressional Fellows on the Hill that worked hard to help shepard this through the process...

Proud of their hard work and to have been able to help them in some small way in getting these wonderful Patriots recognized!

[Utah Bob]

We owe you all a debt ladies. Long overdue recognition.

[SF_BHT]

Those ladys deserve even More.......

Great post Thanks........