Posted on 09/12/2009 10:13:59 AM PDT by Liberty Valance
*ping*
>>But when the Army disbanded the corps in 1944, the women went back to their pre-war lives without any of the honors or benefits their male counterparts received.
>>Just this year, President Barack Obama signed legislation awarding the WASPs the Congressional Gold Medal — one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.
The WASPs did a great service for this nation, but that does not rise to the level of “hero”. Or at least it didn’t until recently where the definition of “hero” has been diluted.
What kind of recognition did male civilian ferry pilots receive?
Great photo Joe. This story really got my interest when i noticed Muriel was from LaFeria. Her maiden name was Keister and I lived on Keister lane in LaFeria and never knew the history behind it until now.
This is just more after-the-fact affirmative action propaganda. Serving as a ferry pilot in and of itself makes no one a hero or a HEROINE. And it took nothing like the courage or skill involved in going up against some very good German and Japanese fighter pilots flying, for part of the war, better equipment who are trying to kill you.
People died in factories doing a necessary job for the war effort. Did all the factory workers get the Gold Congressional Medal (or whatever they called it)?
BTW, my uncle was a civilian ferry pilot during WW2. He didn’t get anything except a pink slip at war’s end.
By the way, LaFeria Texas is 9 miles north of the Mexico border in deep South Texas. My family still has a farm (oranges - grapefruit) there. The farm is about 5 miles east of the old Rebel Field where the Confederate Air Force started. It has moved and is now called the Commemorative Air Force.
I’m sorry but I don’t think this story takes anything away from the heroism of the brave combat pilots of WW2. It just completes more actual history and is a great example of just what it took for America to actually fight and win a World War. JMHO. Your mileage may vary.
“I’m sorry but I don’t think this story takes anything away from the
heroism of the brave combat pilots of WW2. It just completes more
actual history and is a great example of just what it took for America
to actually fight and win a World War.”
That’s my take as well.
These ladies voluntarily took on risks that they could have
easily bypassed.
When I lived in Los Angeles, there was a news article about the one of
these ladies that took off from what is now LAX. She and the Mustang
vanished. Best guess is that they both went into Santa Monica Bay.
To never be seen again.
>> This is just more after-the-fact affirmative action propaganda.
Bingo. What would have meant something was to honor them when most of them were still around. When I was a kid, Annette Way, a WW 2 WASP, had a WW 2 F4-U Corsair in her back yard in Coconut Grove, FL. The neighborhood boys loved it. When she died, the Miami Herald virtually ignored her.
Same with the Tuskegee Airmen - Ted Turner did a cable TV program on them, and could have ended it with shots of the old geezers sitting around and telling war stories. Nothing.
Yes we owe so much thanks to those wonderful women pilots!
After 40 years or so of telling this story you would think that the headline would get updated, but it never does.
They ferried aircraft around our country. Pretty safe job for a WWII pilot, far from the “hero” class. They got the same recognition that men got for doing the same job. But NO, they were women, they deserve so much more, what a joke.
Aren't there people doing this exact same work today, flying aircraft from one domestic location to another?
Barry Goldwater was a transport pilot, flying over the “Hump”. He was “too old” to be a fighter or bomber pilot.
Signing up is the most heroic thing that anyone can do. Everything after that is just following through.
Some of the WASP pilots were attacked on the English end of their ferry flight. Some of them managed to shoot down some Jerry pilots.
Thanks Ladies for your service.
It isn’t the story that’s the problem. Its the affirmative action medal that was awarded 65 years later that is a problem. They flew planes. Some of them crashed planes and died. None died due to enemy action. There’s nothing heroic there. Like you said, it’s just part of what it means to be part of nation that is completely at war. That really is the message to take from the WASPs—when your nation is at war and fighting for its life, you contribute in EVERY way you can. Waving a flag and calling everyone in uniform a hero is not sufficient.
They aren’t the Greatest Generation because they fought a war. They earned that title because they completely retooled America in a few months to be the arsenal of democracy, and then went right back to normal, boring lives as soon as it ended.
Most of the WASPs probably never cared if they got a medal for their service because their pride in a job well-done was enough, but someone convinced Congress and Obama that it would be a good PR move to award it and use it as another “example” of how the patriarchal society of Pre-Obama America mistreated victim groups.
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