It's All About a Bear Named Bishop and the WASP!

Bishop the Bear was created to honor and celebrate the WASP of WWII and to captivate kids' imaginations, encouraging them to soar!

As many of you know, I've been sharing the WASP WWII history for almost 20 years, through songs, videos, an afghan, trading cards, interactive displays, kiosks, the first WASP app, an illustrated WASP history book, and interactive web pages.   Anything outside the box that will captivate, engage and educate kids is what excites and propels me.  

Enter Bishop, my next ‘big idea’ to challenge young kids to follow their dreams, work hard, persist, and keep on learning.    Through Bishop, we can reach the next generation--raising awareness and sharing the inspirational WASP history in a completely new way. 

You don’t have to be a WASP to Fly HIGH in what you do.  HOW do you do it?  Will YOU SHARE what you’ve learned so that a child can be inspired to do something they might never have done? 

My prayer is that Bishop will show us all how exciting and fulfilling it is to dream big and someday, FLY—in whatever we choose to do!     Join us!  Change the future by honoring the past and share your own inspiration, honor, courage, and love.

I'd like to invite you to read all about it on our new KICKSTARTER page.

HERE IS THE LINK! Then, please, join us, and let me know what you think!

God bless you all!

Nancy Parrish

#mustardseedfaith #wasp-wwii

Female Pilot Proud of WASP Legacy -- Dateline Balad

Monday, 06 July 2009

Female Pilot Proud of WASP Legacy

By Staff Sgt. Dilia Ayala 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing RSS Maj. Gina "Torch" Sabric, an F-16 fighter pilot and 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing flight-safety officer, sits on her aircraft after a flight. Sabric proudly attributes the progression of women in aviation to the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP). President Barack Obama presented the WASP the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest and most distinguished award Congress can award a civilian, July 1. Courtesy photo, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. BALAD — It's been more than 60 years since the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) took the skies by storm as the first women in U.S. history trained to fly American military aircraft, overcoming inequality and changing the face of aviation forever. July 1, these aviation pioneers were recognized by President Barack Obama, who presented the Congressional Gold Medal as long-overdue recognition of the historical "Fly Girls." Here at Joint Base Balad, a 21st-century "Fly Girl," Maj. Gina Sabric, an F-16 fighter pilot, couldn't be more pleased with the recognition. "I think it is amazing that they were presented [with the Congressional Gold Medal]," said Sabric, currently deployed here as the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing flight safety officer from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. "It is definitely well-deserved and probably a little overdue, but it is amazing that they are finally being recognized for their service to our country. "They are definitely pioneers in aviation and an inspiration to those of us that fly now," she continued. "We would not be here if it wasn't for the work that they did before us. They paved the way and opened up doors for the rest of us." The WASP was established during World War II with the primary mission of flying non-combat military missions in the United States, thus freeing their male counterparts for combat missions overseas. They were the first women ever to fly American military aircraft, and they flew almost every type of aircraft operated by the Army Air Force during World War II -- logging more than 60 million miles. Overall, more than 1,000 women joined the WASP and 38 of them were killed during duty. Following World War II, these women were released from duty and returned home. During their time in the WASP, they held civilian status and were not considered members of the military. Their contributions went largely unrecognized and the women weren't afforded veteran status until 1977. Today, female fighter pilots continue adding to the proud WASP legacy -- engaged around the world and writing aviation history of their own. Although they did not have to face the same type of discrimination, even in the early 90s when Congress authorized women to be fighter pilots and when Sabric joined the Air Force, the rift between the female and male fighter pilots was still evident. "When I was a lieutenant, there weren't a lot of females ahead of us," said Sabric. "I was told a few times that I didn't belong and it was a 'boy's club' and girls were not welcome, but you would just shrug it off and go on doing your job. You don't see that anymore; we are all equal. Gender is no longer an issue thanks to these women. "Women in aviation has definitely been a stepping-stone progression, one that the WASP started," said Sabric. "Without them, it would have been a longer, tougher road. They set the stage for the rest of us to be able to continue what they started." The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest and most distinguished award Congress can award a civilian. Since the American Revolution, Congress has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. In 2000 and 2006, Congress awarded the Gold Medal to the Navajo Code Talkers and the Tuskegee Airmen, respectively. "As a female pilot, the women of the WASP are our heroes," said Sabric, from Tobyhanna, Pa. "They are who we look up to. They are the pioneers. Looking back on what these women have accomplished, it's great to see them recognized. We are forever grateful."