Bill gives WWII women pilots Arlington cemetery rights
Current policy doesn’t allow Women Airforce Service Pilots to be buried in the most prominent veterans’ cemetery.
San Diego — A bipartisan House bill would allow the remains of some woman pilots who served during World War II to once again be honored at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Women Airforce Service Pilots Arlington Inurnment Restoration Act will allow the cremated remains of women who served in a small program to be placed in the prestigious cemetery, effectively overturning a standing policy that prohibits this practice.
“When the call came to serve in World War II, the WASP answered that call like millions of other Americans,” said Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, one of the bill’s 24 co-sponsors. “They have inurnment rights in other national cemeteries throughout the country. That right should include Arlington National Cemetery, which has always been considered a special place of honor."
WASPs can be buried at cemeteries run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, but Arlington is run by the Army. According to the Associated Press, Army lawyers reviewed regulations in 2014 and determined that these women were technically “active duty designees” and couldn’t be inurned at Arlington.
The Women Airforce Service Pilots were a group of women about 1,100 women who flew non-combat missions during World War II. Some of their duties included towing airborne targets for live ammunition training, shuttling aircraft from one place to another and training combat pilots. The program was created in order to allow combat pilots to focus on combat missions rather than support duties.["non-combat" doesn't mean "not dangerous" 38 of these women pilots were killed in action.]
The program ended after World War II, and the WASPs did not gain official veteran status until 1977. Their remains were previously left at an indoor enclosure at Arlington until 2014 when then-Secretary of the Army John McHugh reclassified the pilots.
“This decision is simply appalling. At a time when we are opening all positions to women, the Army is closing Arlington to the pioneers who paved the way for pilots like me and all women to serve in uniform. It doesn’t make sense,” said Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., the House member who introduced the legislation, said in a statement.
McSally, a retired Air Force colonel, served 26 years in the military. She was the first woman fighter pilot to fly combat missions as well as the first to command a fighter squadron in United States history.
However, like every other cemetery in the world, Arlington is a finite space and sooner or later there just isn't going to be any more room, not even for funerary urns. Then what? -"BB"-
Yes, I suppose I could agree with you ... but then we'd both be wrong, wouldn't we?
Space supposed to run out by 2025. Expansion plans in the works.....
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Mrs Mc had the good fortune to attend a "Women in aviation" conference in Orlando FL several years ago. She gave me a plane ticket so I could go with her. I did some touring and cousin visiting while she conferred, although I was welcome at evening dinners. The guests of honor were several WASPS who were in their 80s at the time. I got to meet some of them, and heard a lot of their stories. Most of those gals quit flying after the war. (It wasn't ladylike...) Others had careers in the background of the aviation business, like corporate offices or ticket agents, but a couple who were there became corporate and airline pilots. They definitely did a good job keeping the "regular" pilots out of harm's way by delivering brand new planes to the field. I'm glad they are finally being honored by allowing those who want to be there to be buried in Arlington.
I wonder how many WASPs are left.
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.
I think Mary Custis would have been proud that her property might recognize the service of other brave women who, in a more modern era, did their duty as they saw duty. Her husband probably would have liked it too, if he could dismiss 19th century attitudes towards women
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
