[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H4698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           75TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN AIRFORCE SERVICE PILOTS

  (Mr. ARRINGTON asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. ARRINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very special 
group who will celebrate their 75th anniversary this Saturday in 
Sweetwater, Texas: the Women Airforce Service Pilots.
  When the forces of fascism and totalitarianism were upending the 
entire global order, it took every ounce of our Nation's measure and 
every man and woman to win World War II.
  Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, 28 female pilots volunteered to 
form America's first female squadron. From 1942 to 1944, over 1,000 
women trained to fly ``the Army way'' at Avenger Airfield in west 
Texas.
  As the first women to fly American military aircraft, they logged 
more than 60 million flight hours, flying every plane in the military's 
arsenal. They ferried equipment, towed gunnery targets, and flight-
tested aircraft, serving at over 120 bases across America so we could 
win the war abroad.
  These brave ladies were vital to the war effort and, ultimately, to 
our victory. Seventy-five years later, their legacy continues to 
inspire us all.
  God bless these female freedom fighters who served with less 
recognition than their male counterparts at the time, but with no less 
honor and distinction.
  God bless America, and go west Texas.

                          ____________________