Today at a ceremony in the Capitol rotunda, the surviving members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots unit or WASPs were given the highest civilian congressional honor – the gold medal.
On this day, it was the women of the armed services past and present that left us amazed at what has been in our midst all along – a largely unrecognized and unsung group of talented individuals – not the shabby shadows of leadership at the podium giving the awards. I watched the ceremony (available only on CNN streaming video) filled with pride.
The WASPs of World War II were average women who fearlessly left their homes and families and accepted unknown hazards during the pioneer days of flight. Although they never saw combat, they were trained to that purpose so that, behind the scenes, they could do every other thing needed to free their male counterparts to fight in combat. They helped train pilots, test aircraft and ferry them where needed.
Among the honorees today was one Dawn Rochow Seymour who hails from Western New York. When she graduated from Cornell University in 1939, she was the first woman to complete the Civilian Pilot’s Training program. She went on to get a civilian pilot’s license and then to sign up for the WASPS. She flew as co-pilot on B-17 tow target missions for training gunners. And on CNN today she described a landing she herself made that let her know she had made it as a pilot. As she spoke of it and remembered, she painted a picture that let you take the ride again with her when, as she said, she brought the massive plane in for a landing without any squeaks or other noise, just the sound of the wheels sliding onto the runway.
Dawn Rochow Seymour
Dawn is a woman of great character and kindness. Having met her, I was very keen to see the televised ceremony today. I knew I would see an admirable group of women from a great period in our history but what I did not expect was to see a young woman officer that gave me comfort that these same kinds of women are in our armed services today.
The WASPs were close to that first stellar generation of pilots – “Lindy” and “Amelia.” They were inspired by these colorful aviation pioneers and, like them, death rode in the cockpit each time they went up in those “crates.” These were people with personalities larger than life. They were true naturals at dealing with the elements and with their machines whereby they obtained that special knowledge and appreciation for life and flight that came to other pioneers such as cowboys and astronauts. A couple of generations later and far removed from the inspiring aviators of the past, did these same kinds of women with this same depth of spirit and courage still exist upstairs?
Happily, I did not have to wait long for my answer. Lt. Colonel Nicole Margaret Ellingwood Malachowski, who was among those addressing the those assembled, stood out as beloved among those gathered and in my mind as I listened to her speak. She had worked hard for the passage of the law to recognize the WASPs and she had overcome a broken leg and pregnancy with twins to speak at the ceremony. Her poise, her presence, her stirring words – her openness and goodwill made her a direct descendant of the women she honored.
Nicole was the first woman selected to fly as part of the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Thunderbirds. Her aviator call sign is “FiFi.” [Wikipedia] Her accomplishments are far-reaching and at a very high level. The Wikipedia article provides updated information about her. Suffice to say that the quality of this young woman made the Congressional leadership on the podium with her look second-class, seedy and irrelevant. They did not in any way measure up to the honor of spending two days in the company of this fine woman and her sisters in the WASPs.
Having spent over a year watching congressional leadership unable either to lead this country or to inspire it in any way, I completely overreacted to having found decent, caring people with personalities as big as the skies they touch able to lead if needed.
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Posted on March 10, 2010