[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16764]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE HEROISM AND BRAVERY OF THE WOMAN AIRFORCE SERVICE PILOTS 
                            OF WORLD WAR II

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 2009

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2014, which 
awarded the Woman Airforce Service Pilots of World War II with a 
Congressional Gold Medal. Known as WASP, these courageous women faced 
incredible bias and hardship while serving our country. Out of the 300 
recipients, three WASP are from the 9th district in Memphis, TN.
  Women were essential to our effort in World War II. In factories and 
shipyards throughout this nation, they provided the fundamental 
infrastructure and labor which allowed our military to prevail. We 
can't forget that just 23 years before the war, Rosie the Riveter 
didn't have the right to vote. Suddenly, she was the muscle behind the 
plane, the tank, the ship--in short the entire arsenal of democracy. 
The women of these times toiled selflessly. They were passionately 
patriotic.
  The WASP were no exception. They were the backbone of the Army Air 
Corps and performed vital jobs such as delivering newly assembled 
planes to key military bases and test piloting new planes. They even 
flew the first jets. The WASP flew over 60 million miles in every type 
of aircraft. Without their work, the Army Air Corps would not have been 
able to function properly and domestic efforts would have been severely 
crippled, making it more difficult to receive crucial supplies, troops 
and planes.
  I am very proud to have three WASP veterans living in my home 
district in Memphis, TN. Martha M. Carpenter, Frankie Yearwood and 
Lillian E. Goodman all graduated from the WASP program with extensive 
flight experience and training. Their jobs required incredible skill 
and were highly dangerous. Recently, Ms. Goodman recalled, ``in my own 
class there were two girls and an instructor that went up in a twin 
engine plane . . . they crashed and were all killed.'' The women that 
Ms. Goodman remembers were sent home in unmarked pine boxes. Their 
service was not acknowledged. They were denied military funerals and 
their families were not permitted to put up a Gold Star in their 
memory. It wasn't until 1977 that Congress finally gave the WASP 
veteran status and benefits.
  For all their patriotism and service, the WASP--all of whom were 
pilots before the war--faced harassment and shocking levels of 
discrimination during and after their service. Sadly, they were made to 
pay for their own flight training and for their own trip home after 
being discharged. When the war ended, some male combat veterans fought 
vigilantly to deny them equal veteran status.
  For thirty years, the federal government classified WASP records. For 
too long, their heroism was kept out of the history books. Grandmothers 
could only tell incredible stories of serving as pilots in World War II 
to disbelieving grandchildren. President Carter helped to change all 
that by finally opening up the records and allowing Ms. Goodman, Ms. 
Carpenter, and Ms. Yearwood's service to be public.
  The WASP's exemplary record and contributions towards the war effort 
were referenced in the 1993 congressional hearings which led to 
legislation allowing women to fly aircraft in combat roles. Currently, 
women make up more than 14% of the military on active duty and more 
than 17% of the reserve and National Guard. The Air Force has the 
highest percentage of women enlisted, as nearly 20% of its members on 
active duty and 25% of the National Air Force Reserve are women. Ms. 
Carpenter, Mrs. Goodman, Ms. Yearwood and the other brave women of the 
WASP were pioneers for the dedicated women who serve in our military 
today and for all who face prejudice in pursuit of equality.

                          ____________________