[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 11, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H1721-H1722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CELEBRATING THE WORLD WAR II WOMEN AIRFORCE SERVICE PILOTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, we had beautiful skies in 
Miami. It was a perfect day for flying. I was given the opportunity to 
visit the Wings Over Miami Air Museum to revel in the history of 
aviation with veterans, fliers, and the families of World War II Women 
Airforce Service Pilots celebrating the life of one special WASP, Fran 
Sargent.

[[Page H1722]]

  We came to honor these American heroines, the first women in history 
to fly America's military aircraft. They flew over 60 million miles in 
every type of aircraft on every type of mission, except combat 
missions.
  The WASPs served our country without hesitation and no expectations 
of recognition or praise. Yet, as our 23rd President, Benjamin 
Harrison, once noted:

       The manner by which women are treated is a good criterion 
     to judge the true state of a society.

  These courageous women had never received the full recognition they 
warranted for their wartime military service to America. It was my 
honor then, as the most senior Republican woman in the House of 
Representatives, to introduce the bipartisan legislation to honor and 
award the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II with the 
Congressional Gold Medal. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest 
honor that this body, the United States Congress, can bestow. 
Cointroducing the bill with me was Congresswoman Susan Davis of 
California and Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Barbara 
Mikulski of Maryland. I was so honored to be part of this effort to 
finally grant these women the recognition they deserved.
  It was right there at the Wings Over Miami Air Museum in August of 
2009 that I was able to present to our local WASP framed, signed copies 
of the legislation for the Women Airforce Service Pilots' Congressional 
Gold Medal; and in March of 2010, the presentation ceremony of the 
Congressional Gold Medal was held in Emancipation Hall, in our Nation's 
Capital, with over 100 WASPs in attendance.
  South Florida is very fortunate to herald several Women Airforce 
Service Pilots in our midst. Air Force Major Ruth Shafer Fleisher is 
now retired. Bee Haydu is active and says ``hello'' to her fellow 
WASPs. Shirley Chase Kruse was there with us on Saturday and shared her 
vivid memories, while Jeremy Snapp and family represented his mother, 
whom we recently lost, Helen Wyatt Snapp. Most importantly, Mr. 
Speaker, we gathered for a celebration of life and a memorial for 
Frances Rohrer Sargent, who was well represented by her daughter, 
Donna--and Terry and Jim--Timmons, and Fran's son, Kenny Sargent, with 
many grand- and great-grandchildren honoring their WASP.
  My thanks to aviatrix Ursula Davidson and all of the women pilots 
flying with the Ninety-Nines for honoring these women of aviation and 
to the Civil Air Patrol and the crew at Wings Over Miami for making the 
day possible. We know you loved Fran as your director emeritus and as a 
great teacher of flight.
  How special are they, these women pioneers of flight? While 25,000 
volunteered, only 1,830 qualified women pilots were accepted, and then 
only 1,102 women earned the wings of WASP. The WASP are all true 
pioneers whose examples paved the way for the armed services to finally 
lift the ban on women attending military flight training in the 1970s. 
While flying their P-14s and AT-4s in training in Sweetwater, Texas, 
the WASP never sought to break the barriers for women, but through 
their service and their success, more opportunities became available 
for women in all fields.
  Fran became a professor at my alma mater, Miami Dade College, where 
she took charge of developing the aviation program. One of her 
students, 73-year-old Judy Portnoy, called Professor Sargent ``the most 
amazing person I know.''
  Mr. Speaker, today, women in military fly every type of aircraft, 
from the F-15s to the space shuttle. My daughter-in-law, Lindsay 
Nelson, a Marine Corps pilot, is part of this lasting legacy of WASP. 
Lindsay, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, served combat 
tours in Iraq and Afghanistan where she flew F/A-18 fighter jets. I am 
so proud of Lindsay and of all of our servicewomen, past and present, 
who continue to inspire young women to achieve what was, heretofore, 
unimaginable. So, on behalf of Lindsay, my congressional colleagues and 
a grateful Nation, I offer my sincere thanks and utmost admiration to 
our WASP.
  Climbing high into the Sun, Helen, Ruth, Bee, Shirley, and Fran, 
thank you all, women pioneers.

                          ____________________