WWII Women Pilots

I thought I would take a break from the
motorcycle updates and blog on a story of
recognition that is long overdue.
The Womens Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)
came into being in the early 1940's and over
50,000 women tried to get into the program.
While America needed every 'able-bodied'
young man for the war effort, there were still
some jobs in the military that women could fill.
They were immediately faced with discrimination
from the all-male world they invaded. The WASP
program itself was discriminating for the women
involved. A candidate needed 500 hours of flying
experience just to qualify. Male pilots did NOT need
that kind of background. The women that did become
WASP were paid 250 dollars a month (less than a male
pilot) but the females had to pay for their own lodging, meals, and
uniforms. Over 50,000 women applied for the program
when it was established, but only 1,830 were accepted.
The final number of graduates from the program is
listed as 1,074. The WASP did everything that was asked
of them. Some were flying chauffeurs for general
officers and some flew supplies, munitions, and food
to bases that needed them. The biggest number of WASP
were involved in the shuttling of airplanes from the
plants where they were built to their base of assignment.
The WASP were never given any rank but each was
simply called a Flight Officer. After the war ended in
1945 the program was abandoned. Now sixty-five years
later the women were finally recognized by their country.
Each has been awarded the 'Congressional Gold Medal'..
the country's highest award for it's citizens. One hundred
and seventy-five of their women flyers are still alive and
were brought to Washington DC for the honor ceremony.
Another 2,000 representatives of deceased pilots were
in attendance to receive their medals. The overdue
recognition was the idea of Senator Barbara Mikulski of
Maryland, who spoke at the awards ceremony, telling
the group, "you flew high for us when the nation was at
war,..and now you get the gold."