WASP's get some well deserved recognition

CrewDawg · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:15 pm

From the NBAA website:

Trailblazing Women Pilots Awarded Congressional Gold Medal of Honor
On July 1, President Barack Obama signed S.614, a bill to award the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. The WASPs were the first group of women to fly for the United States military, flying aircraft in the United States during World War II to free additional pilots for overseas duty. Of the 1,102-strong WASP unit, less than 300 are alive today. Three of their members as well as five active duty U.S. Air Force pilots witnessed the signing of the bill. Along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest civilian award. NBAA applauds the President for signing the bill. To learn more about the WASP program, visit:
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/waspw ... a/wasp.htm

If only they had done it sooner, so that more of the ladies could have been there to witness it.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:35 pm

Ok, I respect their desire to serve, et all, but this is over the top. There were thousands of others (men) doing the exact same thing (sometimes in much more hazardous situations) that are not recognized. I call PC on that. Not everybody deserves a MOH and this cheapens it.

Ryan

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

We are living in the land of PC now my friend.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:30 pm

the330thbg wrote:

We are living in the land of PC now my friend.

Well, at least I can still voice my opposition. Hopefully without reprisal or being painted as something I'm not.

Ryan

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Tue Jul 14, 2009 11:03 pm

I have to agree here with you man. Don't get me wrong, what they did was great, and the should be honored, but the Medal of Honor? Just to put it in perspective, Dick Winters was the CO of Esasy Company of the 101st Airborne, jumped into Normandy on D-day, due to the loss of the C.O. became the active C.O. and led an assault on some hidden guns. Then jumped on Market Garden, then went on to the Battle of the Bulge, and the Eagles nest and he does not have the MOH.

Brad · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:30 pm **Posts:** 1132

Calm down kids. It's not THE Medal of Honor. It's the civilian version and has nothing to do with the military. Same level of prestige to the person that wears it I would think, but being awarded to a civilian it's not the same thing.

I think those ladies are due for a little recognition myself.

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

I notice that Brad just beat me to this:

Quote:

Congressional Gold Medal of Honor

Versus the Medal of Honor.

People mistaken the title, and usually is called the "Congressional Medal of Honor" when it has nothing to do with it.

Saludos,

Tulio

EDIT: removed this: Congres DOES NOT award the Medal. I did it, because althoug I know that Congress does not award the medal, I was not 100% sure of the process behind the award.

The following link, provides some insight:

http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/cranda ... other.html

Saludos,

Tulio

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

Brad wrote:

Calm down kids. It's not THE Medal of Honor. It's the civilian version and has nothing to do with the military. Same level of prestige to the person that wears it I would think, but being awarded to a civilian it's not the same thing.

I think those ladies are due for a little recognition myself.

I recognized that it was the 'Gold' MOH.., still call BS PC on this one!

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:45 pm

Guys, the big thing is not just what these women did, but how they were treated. I never knew about the WASP program until I attended the dedication of the National WASP museum a few years ago in Sweetwater. They were left out of the history books, like the Tuskegee Airmen. When one of them was killed in training, or while serving as a pilot, it was up to their families to pay to get the body home and pay for the funeral, which was without any honors. When they disbanded the WASP program, the girls were stuck where they were and had to pay their own way back home.

airnutz · **Posted:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:17 pm

I too am glad the ladies are finally recieveing the recognition they deserve...long overdue. :wink:

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WASP's get some well deserved recognition

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