• Alumna leads charge to honor WWII’s female pilots

    Fly Girls' Fifinella patchWe wrote about the Fly Girls of World War II about a year and a half ago, when a traveling exhibit on the female Air Force pilots was on display at Baylor’s Mayborn Museum; that exhibit is now showing at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Washington, D.C. (If you don’t remember the Fly Girls, this story from the Waco Tribune-Herald provides a nice summary, or you can learn far more at wingsacrossamerica.us.)

    Baylor graduate Nancy Parrish believes there’s still work to be done in honoring these until-now-ignored Americans, however, and just in time for Memorial Day has been successful in getting the United States Senate to pass Bill S.614, honoring the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) with the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian awards the U.S. has to offer. Parrish and others will continue to press the House to pass H.R.2014; after that, the bill would go to the President for final approval.

    There are quite a few Baylor connections to the project besides Parrish, from WASP Ruth Helm, class of ’39, to honorary board chairman (and former Baylor president) Herbert Reynolds. (The list goes on — read more here.)

    Want to help? Here’s how! Parrish is also keeping her Twitter followers updated with the bill’s progress through Congress; follow along with @flygirls.

    Sic ’em, all you who honor those who proudly served our country!