With your kind permission--this article will continue to be UPDATED with information as it occurs. Consequently, it will be 'republished' using the current date when information is added.
Thank you!
Wonderful ripples from inspirational, patriotic WASP are spreading their way around the world. As a direct result of this campaign for the Congressional Gold Medal, MANY WASP who have never been asked, are being featured as the 'local hero' in their hometown papers. Some have even had national exposure (CNN, NPR, Reader's Digest, AF Times). It has been rewarding in every way, seeing these stories and seeing the photographs and the videos of WASP ACROSS AMERICA. Almost all of them are posted or linked on the Face Book site and the Wings Across America press page.
These WASP were asked about their service during WWII-- and, because WASP were stationed at 120 different Army Air Bases around the country with different flying missions at each base, no two stories are alike! EVERY story adds another colorful piece to the vast WASP mosaic of inspirational history!
Below is a list of a few WASP who have been interviewed- just in the last few months!
The truly exciting thing is that, once any article goes online, it can be seen around the world. In fact, I put a little widget on the medal page, just to keep track of visitors, and we've had people from around the world visit just that page--I stopped counting at 36 countries....
WASP FEATURED IN STORIES & SPEECHES ACROSS THE US.
Lois Dobbins Auchteronie--Washington
Mickey Axton--Minnesota Public Radio
Susie Winston Bain--Texas Austin American Statesman, AF Times
Rae Barnes--Arkansas
Edith Smith Beal--Bridgton, Maine
Betty Blake--Arizona--Reader's Digest --national magazine and online
June Bent--Mass. 2 different newspapers
Frankie Bretherick--Texas 2 different stories in 1 month
Catherine Bridge--California
Nell Stevens Bright--Arizona
Blanche Osborn Bross--Oregon -- featuring her son talking about his mom
B.J. Overman Brown--Maine
Ellen Campbell--Alaska
Duke Caldwell--Illinois
Mary 'Pat' Hiller Call--Washington
Slyvia Clayton--Tucson, AZ
Iris Critchel--California
Mildred Dalrymple, Texas -- Austin ABC news video, ceremony w/ Rep.
Jane Doyle--Grand Rapids, Michigan
Vivian Eddy--San Diego, California
Madeline Eggleston--Texas
Dorothy Eppstein--Kalamazoo, MI news + video
Eleanor Faust -- Orient, New York online video & newspaper
Grace Clark Fender--Texas --1 of 4 WASP featured on Congressman Mac Thornberry's website
Geraldine Tribble Vickers Crockett, Stevens, AK
Eileen Ferguson--Calif.
Ruth Shaffer Fleisher--Florida Miami Herald
Maxine Flournoy --Texas front page, Corpus Christi paper--reprinted in Dallas Morning News
Rosa Lea Fullwood -- Texas (Front page AOPA news--worldwide coverage + local TX newspaper w/ color photo)
Ann Gleezer--Con.
Elaine Harmon--Maryland (White House Press Release)
Sarah Payne Hayden--Mass.
Marion Hodgson--Texas -- TV and newspapers (Dallas & Wichita Falls)
Aline Rhonie Hofheimer--New York
Ruth Brown Humphries--Colorado
Bee Haydu--New Jersey & Florida (White House Press Release)
Pearl Judd--Califorfnia
Alberta Kinney--NY-- honored on the floor of the House of Rep. 3 days after she died
Eleanor Lawry--Danbury, Conneticut
Joan Michaels Lemley--Virginia--ceremony w/ Rep. Wolf
Dorothy Lucas--San Antonio, Texas ABC Station + local news
Margaret Neyman Martin-- Washington
Kathryn Miles--Eugene, Oregon--newspaper, visit in home by Senator Wyden
Anna Flynn Monkewicz--Oregon--Ceremony w/ Senator Wyden
Lois Nash--South Carolina
Doris Nathan--Kalamazoo, MI news + video
Geri Nyman--front page of Casa Grande, AZ paper
Geraldine Olinger--California
Phyllis Johnson Paradis--Bass Harbor, Maine
Sue Parish--Kalamazoo, MI news
Deanie Parrish--Texas. NPR "All Things Considered," CNN, local paper
Betty Pfister--Colorado--front page of the Aspen Times, Colorado
Genevieve Rausch--New York--by US Rep on in local newspaper
Mabel Rawlinson--Kalamazoo, MI
Marjorie Rees--KS Kansas City Star
Ola Rexroat--South Dakota
Shutsy Reynolds--Pennsylvania
Barbara Manchester Robinson--Tullahoma, TN -- Beechcraft museum display, local newspaper
Lorraine Rodgers--Virginia -- CNN live interview (White House Press Release)
Barbara Donahue Ross--Virginia--front page of Fauquier Times Democrat
Fran Roher Sargent--Florida Miami Herald
Joyce Secciani--San Diego, California
Janet Lee H. Simpson--Jacksonville, Florida
Edith Upson Smith, Green Valley, AZ
Helen Snapp--Miami, Florida
Henrietta Speckles Sproat--Oroville, California
Alyce Stevens Roher--Pasadena, California
Elizabeth Strohfus--Minnesota Public Radio
Virginia Sweet--NY-- her obit was carried in the AF Times
Margaret Phelan Taylor--Calif. -- TV Pentagon Channel & local + local newspaper & AF TIMES
Jane Tedeschi--Conn. CNN video and online story
Marcella Tucker--California
Mary Alice Vandeventer--Lueders, Texas newspaper and awarded Lifetime Membership in VFW
Florine Watson--Texas--TV and newspaper
Margaret Weiss--California
Violet Wierzbecki--Flint, MI
Beverly Wilkinson--Sedona, Arizona
Virginia Wood--Fairbanks, Alaska
Lillian Yonally--Troy, New York
NON-WASP INTERVIEWS ABOUT WASP:
Nicole Malachowski--interviewed and quoted nationwide--NPR, TV, all about the WASP
Nancy Parrish--interviewed and quoted--nationwide--all about the WASP
Amy Strebe--NPR SAN DIEGO--local show that is broadcast nationwide
Needless to say, this has been extraordinary. I am so grateful for those who have joined our campaign--ESPECIALLY MAJOR "FIFI" Malachowski--who really became the "WASP Champion!"
I know there will be MORE and MORE WASP honored and spotlighted all over the country! Plus, this list does not include WASP who have heard personally from one or both of their Senators -- or the Senators staff have reached out to "their WASP" -- or the Representatives who mention "THEIR WASP" on the floor of the House, or in a special proclamation, or a ceremony (one just happened this weekend at the State Capitol in Austin).
If you have not visited the 'S.614' page, please stop by! It is now the PL (PUBLIC LAW) 111-40 page!!! I have listed many thank you's on this page and will continue to update information on this extraordinary event!
Amazing opportunities to spread the inspirational WASP history EVERYWHERE!! Amazing. Heartwarming. God is definitely in charge!
May He continue to bless those who served and are serving today all around the world, and God, please bless America.
