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

WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH SURPRISE

DEAR WASP AND FRIENDS,

I just received this information and wanted to share it with all of you. YES, this is a little good news that involves the WASP and your inspirational history!

Posted below are 2 photos that were taken yesterday, March 3, at the WOMEN'S MEMORIAL, where our "Fly Girls" exhibit is on display.

First Lady, Michelle Obama, spent the third day of March visiting the Women's Memorial at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery--paying tribute to the brave women

who have given so much to our country. Her presence at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial turned the spotlight on bright, which WIMSA deserves-with a little spilling over onto the Fly Girls of WWII Exhibit. Traveling with the First Lady: General Ann Dunwoody, VICE ADMIRAL Vivien Crea, Congresswomen Mary Fallin, Laura Richardson and Jan Schakowski.

In this first photo, Mrs. Obama is reading the "ABOVE & BEYOND" tribute to the 38 WASP and trainees who gave their lives flying for their country.

In this last photo, General Vaught is making a point, I'm sure. In the background, the AT-6 and the WASP Film Strip.

We do hope the First Lady returns with her daughters (as she mentioned in her speech). What a picture THAT would be. However, in the meantime, I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE SHE NOW KNOWS WHO THE WASP ARE--
THANK YOU to the First Lady for caring.

to read more about it: ABC NEWS Story
to hear the speech: C-SPAN

God bless you all--and HAPPY WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE GOOD NEWS!

Fly Girls of WWII Landing in Washington, DC.

MEET the Women Airforce Service Pilots and experience their captivating history. Waco, Texas, November 11, 2008: Wings Across America announces the opening of the ’Fly Girls of WWII” traveling WASP exhibit at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial, November 14, 2008, 11 am. at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery.

THIS JUST IN-Featuring guest speakers: Nichole Malachowski, first female Thunderbird pilot and Cokie Roberts and Former Ambassador Lindy Boggs--who co-sponsored the bill giving the WASP Veteran status in 1977.

HISTORY: During World War II, this select group of young women pilots became pio-neers. They were the FIRST women in history to fly America’s military aircraft. The Army Air Force used them during WWII to take over military flying jobs here in the US so that the male pilots could go overseas and fly combat missions. In less than 2 years, they flew over 60 million miles--in every type of aircraft and on every type of mission in the Army Air Force except combat. Wings Across America’s “Fly Girls of WWII” shines a well-deserved spotlight on these overlooked, unsung heroes who paved the way for every female military pilot who is serving our country today.


MEET ORIGINAL WASP: Picture ‘A League Of Their Own’ with goggles and para-chutes, as Women Airforce Service Pilots dressed in their 'santiago blues', all well into their 80’s, walk though “Fly Girls,” sharing the memories, the pride, the courage that it took to do what they did during wartime when they were in their early 20s!


CREATED by Wings Across America’s mother-daughter* team “Fly Girls of WWII” is a colorful, comprehensive and captivating history of the WASP, which includes the “WASP Film Strip”, an “Above & Beyond” tribute, a 26 foot WASP Timeline, 7 foot tall WASP standups, scale replica WWII airplanes, uniformed mannequins, hundreds of photos, a tribute to the 38 WASP who were killed flying for their country, WASP memorabilia, a celebration of their final battle for recognition, and the ‘Tribute,’ a unique mosaic featuring every face of the 1,102 Women Airforce Service Pilots in one amazing photo.


The Fly Girls exhibit and the WASP -- an unbeatable combination for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


*Director, Nancy Parrish, and WASP Deanie Parrish, 44-w-4

For online press kit http://www.wingsacrossamerica.org/PR f you would like more information about the exhibit please call Nancy Parrish at 254-366-1436 or e-mail nancy@wingsacrossamerica.org

For more information on the event, call Marilla Cushman at WIMSA1-800-222-2294 or email pr@womensmemorial.org

BACKGROUND QUTOES:

“These women should be the role models for all of us. Their service, courage, determination, integrity, honor, patriotism and faith are contagious, and we hope Fly Girls will educate and inspire visitors with these larger-than-life heroes of World War II.” Nancy Parrish, Director, Wings Across America

“I am enormously proud to help bring the first major exhibit about the WASP to the Women’s Memorial.” Brig General Wilma L. Vaught, USAF Retired and President of WIMSA