[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21148]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   H.R. 2014, AWARDING A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO WOMEN AIRFORCE 
                             SERVICE PILOTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHET EDWARDS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2009

  Mr. EDWARDS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise as an original co-sponsor 
of this bill, which honors a group of courageous women pilots--all of 
whom earned their wings in Texas. During World War II, Women Airforce 
Service Pilots, or WASP, were stationed at 2 air bases located in Waco, 
Texas: Waco Army Air Field and Blackland Army Air Base.
  One of the 38 members of WASP who died while flying for their country 
was killed in Waco while flight-testing a BT-13 to make sure that it 
had been properly repaired. Bettie Mae Scott was killed on July 8, 
1944, her body sent home in a cheap pine box, with not so much as an 
American flag draping her coffin.
  Madam Speaker, my district not only played an important part in the 
history of the WASP, my district is also the home of WASP Deanie 
Parrish, a Martin Marauder D-26 pilot, who towed a sleeved target 
behind her aircraft while a B-24 would pass by and gunnery trainees in 
the turrets would practice for combat by firing live ammunition, using 
color coated bullets, at the target.
  Wings Across America, founded by Deanie's daughter, Nancy Parrish, 
located at Baylor University, has played a key role in the creation and 
implementation of the bill we have before us today. Along with 
interviewing over 100 WASP, creating the website, ``WASP on the Web,'' 
founding the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas in 2003 and 
creating all the exhibits for the opening of the museum in 2005, 
successfully nominating the WASP for the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, 
and designing and creating the ``Fly Girls of WWII'' WASP exhibit, 
which is now on display at the Women's Memorial at Arlington, these 2 
volunteers have worked tirelessly to educate and inspire America with 
the history of the WASP.
  This bill honors the WASP and place the WASP history in the national 
spotlight, where I believe it rightly belongs.

                          ____________________