The Women’s Airforce Service Pilots were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in March 2010. This medal is the oldest and highest honor the country can give to a civilian for extraordinary achievements, including military service. It is awarded for significant and long-lasting contributions to American history and culture. The WASPs earned this honor as the first women to fly for the U.S. military. More than 60 years after the war, over 200 WASPs attended the Medal ceremony in 2010, many of them wearing their uniforms. This Congressional Gold Medal was posthumously awarded for the service of WASP Muriel “Mimi” Lindstrom, and was accepted by her son, Lynn “Lindy” Segall.
Exhibit Artifact
WASP Legacy: Congressional Gold Medal
On View:
WASPs of WWII
This section discusses life for the WASPs after World War II and their struggle to have their legacy recognized.
Overview
After the WASP was disbanded, the women’s service records were classified, and most returned quietly to the civilian sector.
Very few people remembered the WASPs after the war. In the 1970s, the U.S. Air Force announced that they would be allowing women to become military pilots “for the first time.” The former WASPs decided they could not keep silent any longer, and began a long fight to be recognized for their role in World War II.
Finally, in 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed the bill that granted these women veteran status. Even with this bill, it took decades for the former WASPs to receive their proper awards and recognitions. The first discharge certificates were not issued to these women until 1979, and it wasn’t until 1984 that they received their World War II Victory Medals.
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WASP Congressional Gold Medal
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WASP Congressional Gold Medal
WASP Congressional Gold Medal
Exhibit Preview
WASPs of WWII
Over 1,000 women served in the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, better known as the WASPs, during World War II....
