WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ten women from Colorado will be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal for their service during World War II as Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) at a March 10 ceremony at the United States Capitol.
Nearly 70 years since their WW II service, the WASP will be honored by the United States government for the first time in recognition of their trailblazing efforts as the first civilian female pilots to fly military aircraft under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces. Of the group of 1,102 WASP, fewer than 300 survive today. Nearly half the survivors and more than 1,000 family members will travel to Washington to receive the recognition they deserve.
Women to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal from Colorado include: Lucile Wise, Arvada; Ruth Brown, Aspen; Elizabeth Pfister, Aspen; Grace Lotowycz, Boulder; Millicent Young, Colorado Springs; Annabelle Moss, Grand Junction; Doris Tracy, La Veta; Kathryn Gunderson, Lakewood; Josephine Robinson, Louisville; Peggy McCaffrey, Montrose.
Through their heroic and patriotic actions, the WASP helped pave the way for women military aviators today. Not granted military status until 1977, the women pilots had to pay their own way to training, set up collections to help send fallen WASP home, and after the program was terminated, pay their own way home.
The Congressional Gold Medal ceremony is expected to be attended by special guests including Vice Admiral Vivien Crea (USCG, Ret.), the first woman to serve as a Presidential Military Aide and pioneering Coast Guard aviator; Colonel Eileen Collins (USAF, Ret.), the first woman astronaut to command a Space Shuttle; and Major Nicole Malachowski, who initiated legislation to recognize the WASP and was the first female to serve as an Air Force Thunderbird pilot.
The Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation will serve as the official host for two days of events in the nation’s capital to honor the WASP and recognize their service. Events include a wreath laying ceremony at the Air Force Memorial and a welcome salute reception at the Women in Military Service For America Memorial.
Currently, the Women’s Memorial is hosting the Fly Girls of World War II exhibit, showcasing the inspirational history of the WASP.
“The Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation is both honored and pleased to be a part of this historic event to pay tribute to the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II,” said Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught (USAF, Ret.), president of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation. “The Women’s Memorial was built so that the American public, and the world, could come to know about the more than 2.5 million women who have served in the nation’s defense.”
Supporters of the WASP Celebration events include Lockheed Martin, Susan Davis International, Sodenta, Microsoft, Anheuser-Busch, Booz Allen, Northrop Grumman, Microsoft, L3, McNeil Technologies, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Blogtalk Radio, the Military Officer Association of America, the Air Force Association, Nike and the Pentagon Federal Credit Union. American Airlines, in partnership with Mercy Airlift, is providing free flights for many WASP and discounts for families.
About the Women In Military Service For America Memorial
The Women In Military Service For America Memorial is the nation’s only major memorial honoring all servicewomen, past and present. Located at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, the Women’s Memorial is readily accessible by Metro (Blue Line) and paid parking is available at the Cemetery Visitor Parking Lot. For more information call 800.222.2294, 703.533.1155 or visit the Women's Memorial Foundation website at www.womensmemorial.org.
The Memorial is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
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