Jul 09 2009
Long Overdue Recognition – Congratulations!
On Wednesday, July 1, President Obama signed bill S.614 to award the Congressional Medal of Honeor to the WASP. This is long overdue recognition of their service to our country and well deserved. Congratulations ladies! Bee Haydu was there for the signing along with Elaine Danforth Harmon, Lorraine H. Rodgers and current Air Force pilots.
It is likely that the official cermony will not happen for another several months since they have to make the actal medal!
It was only the day before (on Tuesday) that Bee Haydu returned to Keystone Heights Airpark after participating (as a passenger) in the Women’s Air Race Classic to help raise awareness for the WASP and funds for the Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum’s WASP History Center.
You can’t get much more timely than that!
I am Elizabeth McKinley Matray’s Great Nephew and am interested in finding information on Aunt Lib’s WASP service. I learned that the Matray Archives are at USC LA and I have requested help in retrieving them. I don’t know if they contain Aunt Lib’s story or not. My Mother is the historian and she is getting up in years. It would be so wonderful if she could accept Aunt Lib’s medal for her as we know she would be so proud of receiving the recognition deserved. Aunt Lib was special in many ways as were most of these Ladies.
Please call if you have information or write at
Thomas Butler
139 Greenville Street NW
Aiken South Carolina 29801
803.645.8627
stinson_1@bellsouth.net
Can’t wait for everything to be finalized. My mother-in-law Dawn Rochow Seymour 43-5 is featured in the following article:
http://www.mpnnow.com/towns/canandaigua/x987136466/Presidential-honor-for-trailblazing-pilot out local paper
Rob Merrill
Rochester, NY
rmerril1@rochester.rr.com