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WASHINGTON — The woman nicknamed “Bee†used to hover over Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, while training to fly for the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.
This week, Bernice “Bee†Falk Haydu hovered over President Barack Obama while he signed a bill honoring the 1,102 women who were WASPs.
The new law grants the Congressional Gold Medal to the female pilots credited with paving the way for women in the military. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor a civilian can receive, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Haydu plans to be at the award ceremony.
“You better believe it. I’m 88. I hope I live that long,†she said.
The ceremony could be as far away as six months, said Courtney Sanders, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who helped shepherd the bill through Congress. The U.S. Mint will design a unique medal reflecting the WASPs.
The fly girls trained at sites including Avenger Field and in the Dallas area. They carried out non-combat military missions in the United States for about two years, piloting every kind of World War II aircraft but never receiving formal or public recognition for their service.
Until now.
Indeed, the WASPs were civil servants whose acceptance into the Army Air Corps was blocked by some of the male pilots they had freed to fight in World War II, said Haydu, author of “Letters Home, 1944-1945: Women Airforce Service Pilots.â€
The WASPs began as an experimental program, she said. The military wasn’t sure women had what it took to fly warplanes — or to be in the military.
These days, Haydu splits her time between Singer Island, Fla., near West Palm Beach, and Florham Park, N.J., near Morristown.
But in the 1970s, she focused much of her attention on Washington, D.C.
Haydu was president of the Order of Fifinella, an organization now called WASP Inc. Fifinella was a good luck female flying gremlin designed in World War II by Walt Disney.
As president of the group, Haydu was instrumental in persuading lawmakers to recognize the female pilots as World War II veterans.
In 1977, President Carter signed a bill doing just that.
The women didn’t gain pensions or educational benefits like their male counterparts, she said. But they gained access to the Veterans Administration’s medical facilities, as well as the privilege of having American flags on their caskets.
About 300 WASPs are still living, including Marion Stegeman Hodgson of Wichita Falls.
The medal will go to them and to family members of those who have died.
Haydu was disappointed when she wasn’t invited to the Oval Office for the 1977 bill signing.
“I worked really hard,†she said. “You had to organize the people, and you had to get them all jazzed up so that they would help with all the lobbying and so forth.â€
The group didn’t hire professional lobbyists.
At Wednesday’s signing, Haydu was standing by President Obama.
“He’s a super down-to-earth guy,†she said. “I’m talking about the president. I guess I shouldn’t use ‘guy.’ But, at any rate, he’s very gracious.â€
Obama had high praise for WASPs.
“Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve,†he said.
Haydu began her service at 23 with seven months’ training at Avenger Field.
Then she was stationed at Pecos. She did engineering test-flying and was a utility pilot who flew pilots around in the United States.
The testing came, for instance, after a major overhaul on an engine. The aircraft had to be flown a set number of times for a certain number of hours.
Other WASPs towed targets for antiaircraft guns to practice shooting at, performed night flying to give beacon personnel on the ground a chance to practice tracking aircraft, towed gliders and ferried aircraft around.
On Wednesday, Obama gave Haydu one of four pens he used to sign the new law. She plans to find a prominent place for it in her home, along with the medal.
Sanders said staff members from the offices of Hutchison and other lawmakers key in getting the bill through Congress will take part in a design meeting Thursday.
This week, Bernice “Bee†Falk Haydu hovered over President Barack Obama while he signed a bill honoring the 1,102 women who were WASPs.
The new law grants the Congressional Gold Medal to the female pilots credited with paving the way for women in the military. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor a civilian can receive, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Haydu plans to be at the award ceremony.
“You better believe it. I’m 88. I hope I live that long,†she said.
The ceremony could be as far away as six months, said Courtney Sanders, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who helped shepherd the bill through Congress. The U.S. Mint will design a unique medal reflecting the WASPs.
The fly girls trained at sites including Avenger Field and in the Dallas area. They carried out non-combat military missions in the United States for about two years, piloting every kind of World War II aircraft but never receiving formal or public recognition for their service.
Until now.
Indeed, the WASPs were civil servants whose acceptance into the Army Air Corps was blocked by some of the male pilots they had freed to fight in World War II, said Haydu, author of “Letters Home, 1944-1945: Women Airforce Service Pilots.â€
The WASPs began as an experimental program, she said. The military wasn’t sure women had what it took to fly warplanes — or to be in the military.
These days, Haydu splits her time between Singer Island, Fla., near West Palm Beach, and Florham Park, N.J., near Morristown.
But in the 1970s, she focused much of her attention on Washington, D.C.
Haydu was president of the Order of Fifinella, an organization now called WASP Inc. Fifinella was a good luck female flying gremlin designed in World War II by Walt Disney.
As president of the group, Haydu was instrumental in persuading lawmakers to recognize the female pilots as World War II veterans.
In 1977, President Carter signed a bill doing just that.
The women didn’t gain pensions or educational benefits like their male counterparts, she said. But they gained access to the Veterans Administration’s medical facilities, as well as the privilege of having American flags on their caskets.
About 300 WASPs are still living, including Marion Stegeman Hodgson of Wichita Falls.
The medal will go to them and to family members of those who have died.
Haydu was disappointed when she wasn’t invited to the Oval Office for the 1977 bill signing.
“I worked really hard,†she said. “You had to organize the people, and you had to get them all jazzed up so that they would help with all the lobbying and so forth.â€
The group didn’t hire professional lobbyists.
At Wednesday’s signing, Haydu was standing by President Obama.
“He’s a super down-to-earth guy,†she said. “I’m talking about the president. I guess I shouldn’t use ‘guy.’ But, at any rate, he’s very gracious.â€
Obama had high praise for WASPs.
“Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve,†he said.
Haydu began her service at 23 with seven months’ training at Avenger Field.
Then she was stationed at Pecos. She did engineering test-flying and was a utility pilot who flew pilots around in the United States.
The testing came, for instance, after a major overhaul on an engine. The aircraft had to be flown a set number of times for a certain number of hours.
Other WASPs towed targets for antiaircraft guns to practice shooting at, performed night flying to give beacon personnel on the ground a chance to practice tracking aircraft, towed gliders and ferried aircraft around.
On Wednesday, Obama gave Haydu one of four pens he used to sign the new law. She plans to find a prominent place for it in her home, along with the medal.
Sanders said staff members from the offices of Hutchison and other lawmakers key in getting the bill through Congress will take part in a design meeting Thursday.
