I was going to write a post recognizing memorial day but I found this wonderful post from Giselle Minoli. I highly #recommend  checking out the video linked in the post.

Happy Memorial Day! Remember this is a day to celebrate military servicemen that paid the ultimate sacrifice.
#memorialday  

Originally shared by Giselle Minoli

I wanted to make sure when I gave that acceptance speech for the (Congressional) Gold Medal…we didn’t do it for Glory. We didn’t do it for recognition. We did it because our country needed us. – Deanie Parish, WASP

On this Memorial Day I choose to honor The WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) of World War II, who were trained to ferry new airplanes to their destinations (among many other things), because there weren’t enough men for the task. These women were Civilians, even though they operated within the military system, had the same training as the men, were judged according to military standards, and worked and performed according to military protocol.

They were driven, committed and ambitious and loved what they did. However, a group of men began a campaign to de-activate their mission…because the men wanted their jobs and after two years of service they were officially de-activated after a hearing at which they were not allowed to be present.

What this meant is that they were never acknowledged as Veterans of the War, not allowed to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The story of their service to our country is not even taught in history books. They were, effectively, used by the military for an important purpose…and then discarded.

That all changed when Barry Goldwater, five-time Arizona US Senator and Republican Nominee for POTUS in 1964, took up the cause to officially recognize the service of The WASP.

A couple of years ago a male commenter on Google+ responded to my wondering why so few women want to learn to fly with [his] thought that…maybe women just aren’t interested. The belief system that flying is not for women, although diminishing slightly, still exists today. I’m glad that Jill Bond has made a film about The WASP that highlights the contribution made by these women to the War effort, and their fight, decades after they were de-activated, to have the work they did in service to the US, fully acknowledge by the military.

Please watch this entertaining, illuminating, and frequently jaw-dropping documentary on The WASP, a film by Jill Bond. It’s a brief history lesson I think you will enjoy, and when you see the joy on the faces of the women known as The WASP and hear personal stories from those still living, you will understand why it matters that they be recognized for their service.

We Served Too:
http://www.wstthemovie.com/

About Jill Bond:
http://www.wstthemovie.com/filmmaker.html

WWII Female Pilots Honored with Gold Medal:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124533914

The WASP are allowed to buried in Arlington National Cemetery:
https://plus.google.com/+GiselleMinoli/posts/Jqs9okhByXv

#TheWASP   #WeServedToo   #JillBond   #WWIIServicePilots   #ArlingtonNationalCemetery