[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1438-E1439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING WWII WOMEN AVIATORS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 16, 2009

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Gayle 
Bevis Ewing Reed and her remarkable service to our country during World 
War II. Ms. Reed was one of the courageous women who served her country 
as a part of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program which 
began in August 1943 to facilitate the war effort. She was dedicated to 
her dream of becoming a pilot and, despite the barriers confronting 
women in the aviation field, she succeeded and went on to fly PT-19s, 
BT-13s, and UC-78s during the war.
  Upon hearing of the WASP program she became determined to aid the war 
effort and was among the earliest women to join. Of the 25,000 who 
applied, she was one of those selected to undergo a rigorous training 
program. She earned her wings in 1943, becoming one of 1,074 women to 
do so. In the 17 months that the WASPs were operational, she and her 
fellow pilots flew more than 60 million miles in over 60,000 hours of 
duty providing an invaluable service for our country.
  Ms. Reed and her fellow WASPs were responsible for testing both new 
airplanes and those that had undergone repairs. They delivered planes 
from one destination to another and assisted with the training of other 
pilots by towing targets, simulating bombings and even participating in 
the direct instruction of male cadets.
  She and her fellow pilots displayed tremendous courage and bravery as 
their duties were strenuous, exhausting and, at times, even life 
threatening. Thirty-eight women lost their lives while serving our 
country. Women pilots faced constant gender discrimination and 
antagonism from male pilots who adamantly believed that women did not 
belong in the aviation field.
  On Dec. 20, 1944, Congress voted to disband the WASP program, 
determining that it

[[Page E1439]]

was no longer necessary as male pilots were becoming available to fill 
the jobs the women were performing. Despite the end of the program, she 
and many other women did not abandon their love of flying. They 
continued to fight alongside one another to gain recognition for their 
remarkable contribution. In the 1970s, they became deeply involved in a 
campaign nicknamed the ``Battle of Congress'' to gain veteran status 
for their service during the war. They finally succeeded in 1977 
despite continued gender discrimination.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Gayle 
Bevis Ewing Reed and other flyers from the WASP program who remain an 
inspiration for young women and men alike. She is not only a hero but a 
symbol of what can be achieved when goals are pursued and barriers 
overcome. She continues the legacy set down by generations of ambitious 
women by honoring her talent and maintaining a steadfast commitment to 
her dreams.

                          ____________________