[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 176 (Tuesday, December 9, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S16113-S16114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          OREGON VETERAN HERO

 Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, today I rise to honor an Oregon 
veteran who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to 
her country and to her State. Blanche Osborn Bross was born on July 21, 
1916, and has lived in Oregon since the age of 8.
  In 1943, Blanche heeded the call to duty by joining the Women's Air 
Force Service Pilots, WASP, an experimental program developed to 
compensate for the lack of men available for pilot training; when 
American men were critically needed for combat duty during World War 
II, important piloting jobs across the country were left vacant. WASPs 
like Blanche spent countless hours training to assume piloting jobs, 
deliver planes from factories to their domestic bases, tow targets for 
gunnery practice, and train cadet pilots.
  More than 25,000 women applied for the prestigious WASP program, and 
while 1,830 were chosen for training, a select 1,074 women graduated 
from the rigorous program. After graduating, Blanche became one of 17 
women sent to Columbus, OH, to learn to fly four-engine aircraft. In 
Ohio, Blanche became a pilot of the legendary B-17 ``Flying Fortress,'' 
ferrying the enormous aircraft between bases. Fortunately, at 5 feet, 8 
inches tall, Blanche was just tall enough to reach the rudder pedals.
  After her first assignment in Ohio, Blanche was sent to Fort Myers, 
FL, to assist in gunnery training. As a pilot, she took gunners up in 
the air where

[[Page S16114]]

they fired at targets towed by a B-25. Many of the gunners had been in 
male-dominated combat and were shocked to greet women pilots in the 
cockpit. One soldier even exclaimed, ``I have to write home about 
this!''
  After spending close to a year at Fort Myers, Blanche and three other 
WASPs were transferred to the Las Vegas gunnery school where they were 
used in the engineering squadron to test repaired aircraft. The program 
generated significant publicity during the war, and Blanche was 
featured in a famous picture of female pilots walking off of the 
``Pistol Packin' Mama,'' a B-17 bomber. The photograph has since been 
used in advertisements for clothing lines, fashion magazines, and 
historical chronicles.
  Blanche lived to fly, and is quick to point out she always felt 
accepted by the men in the military. On December 20, 1944, however, a 
bill sent before Congress that would have allowed women to enter the 
Air Force did not pass, and the WASP program was dismantled. After 
being deactivated from the WASPs, Blanche joined the American Red Cross 
and was sent to Kunming, China where, although she did not fly planes, 
she was heavily involved in operating clubs for service members 
stationed overseas.
  Following her tour in China, Blanche returned to the U.S. to begin a 
family. In 1957, she married William H. Bross with whom she had a son, 
Charles. Together, they moved to Portland, OR, where she developed a 
seaplane flying base. Later in life, Blanche received a commercial 
pilot license and flew construction crews to work sites.
  For many years, one distinct honor alluded Blanche and the other 
female pilots. The WASPs had retained their civilian status while 
flying aircraft in World War II, and therefore, were not considered 
``veterans'' after the war. At long last in 1977, Blanche and other 
female pilots were finally recognized for their invaluable service to 
their country when the WASPs were finally designated as veterans.
  Today, Blanche resides with her husband in Bend, OR, where she plays 
golf on a regular basis, and continues to enjoy the outdoors. When 
asked what one thing she would want others to know about her, she 
replied simply, ``I want people to know I'm proud to be an Oregonian 
and proud to have served this country.''
  For her selfless service to others, and to the United States in times 
of war, I salute Blanche Osborn Bross as an Oregon Veteran 
Hero.

                          ____________________