Hutchison Pushes for Honoring WASP
By: Downing Bolls
Updated: March 18, 2009
All seventeen women members of the U.S. Senate are backing a bill to honor the WASPs, the Women Air Force Service Pilots of World War II.They trained at Avenger Feld in Sweetwater and went onto fly non-combat missions, freeing up their male counterparts to serve in the war. That service set the stage for changes women in the military enjoy today.
"Today, women fly every type of aircraft from combat fighters to the space shuttle," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. "However, despite their cultural impact, the WASPs have never been formally recognized by Congress for their wartime military service, until now."
Senators want to present the WASPs with the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the nation's highest civilian honor.
Of the original 1,102 wasps, only about 300 are still living.
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