Authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

I thank my good friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as the House author of legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP, I rise in strong support of today's resolution.

I would like to thank my wonderful friend from California, my colleague, my collaborator, Congresswoman Susan Davis of California, for her dedicated work in support of the WASP.

Today's bill authorizes the use of Emancipation Hall, a historic place for a historic group of ladies, for an event that will honor a most unique sisterhood of women pioneers. Next, Wednesday, March 10, Mr. Speaker, the United States Congress will present the Congressional Gold Medal to the surviving members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP. This award serves as a small token of our tremendous appreciation of the remarkable courage and sacrifice made by these women during the perilous times of World War II.

The WASP were the first women in history to fly America's military aircraft. Between the years of 1942 and 1944, these courageous women volunteered to fly noncombat missions so that every available male pilot could be deployed in combat. More than 25,000 women applied for the program, but only 1,830 qualified women pilots were accepted.

Unlike their male counterparts, women applicants were required to be qualified pilots before they could apply for the Army Air Forces' military flight training program. That's what it was called, it sounds odd to say. Although 1,102 women earned their wings and went on to fly over 60 million miles for the Army Air Forces, equal to some 2,500 times around the globe, they never got the recognition that they deserved. Their performances were equal in every way to those of their male pilots. With the exception of direct combat missions, the WASP flew the same aircraft with the same missions as male pilots. Women pilots were used to tow targets for male pilots who were using live ammunition for searchlight missions, for chemical missions, engineering test flying, and for countless other exercises.

In 1944, the WASP were disbanded. Their service records were sealed and classified. By the time the war ended, 38 women pilots had lost their lives while flying for our country. Although they took the military oath and were promised military status, the WASP were never recognized as true military personnel. These 38 women who died in the service of our country during World War II were denied death benefits, including proper military funerals. Not even an American flag covered their coffins, and their survivors never received a single dime.

As a former WASP, Mary Alice Putnam Vandeventer noted in a recent letter, fellow WASP would circulate a ``collection hat to make sure that a fallen sister pilot received a proper burial.''

It was not until 1977, more than 30 years after the WASP had served, when another woman pioneer, Congresswoman Lindy Boggs, introduced legislation to grant the WASP veterans status. Now, more than 30 years from that important occasion, the United States Congress, on behalf of the American people, will present the WASP with the recognition they deserve and with the recognition, indeed, they have earned.

The WASP are true pioneers, whose examples paved the way for the Armed Forces to finally lift the ban on a woman attending military flight training in the 1970s.

Today, women in the military fly every type of aircraft, from F-15s to the space shuttle. My daughter-in-law, Lindsay Nelson, a Marine Corps pilot, is part of this lasting legacy of the WASP. Lindsay is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. She served combat tours in Iraq and in Afghanistan, where she flew the F-18 fighter jet. I am so proud of Lindsay and of all of our servicewomen, past and present, who continue to inspire young women to achieve what was heretofore unimaginable.

Of the 1,102 WASP, less than 300 are still alive today, and they are residing in almost every State of our beautiful Union.

I have had the honor and the privilege of meeting WASP from my congressional area of south Florida. Last August, Mr. Speaker, I presented Frances Rohrer Sargent, Ruth Shafer

Fleisher and Helen Wyatt Snapp with framed, signed copies of the WASP Congressional Gold Medal legislation. I cannot tell you how delighted I am that Frances, Ruth, and Helen will be traveling to Washington next week, along with more than 170 of their fellow WASP.

Join me in paying homage to these trailblazers and true patriots who served our country without question and with no expectation of recognition or praise. I hope that all of our colleagues will join us next week to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me and my good friend from California, Mrs. Davis, in voting ``yes'' on this important recognition. We have taken a long time to recognize these brave pioneers, but that date has finally come, thanks to all of our Members.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 239) authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on this concurrent resolution.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 239. As Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel and as co-Chair of the Women's Caucus Task Force on Women in the Military and Veterans, I am privileged to recognize their service.

We are all familiar with the icon of Rosie the Riveter, working in war factories during World War II. Her motto was, ``We can do it.''

Well, the Women Airforce Service Pilots did it, too. Almost 70 years ago, they became pioneers for women's equality in the armed services. As civilian pilots under the direction of the U.S. Army Air Forces, flying noncombat missions from 1942 to 1944, they bravely stepped into service while their male counterparts were sent to combat.

The Women Airforce Service Pilots are referred to as the ``WASP.'' Unlike many acronyms used in the military, this is an apt name. For like WASP, their work demanded a unique combination of feistiness and strength, underlined by loyalty to their fellow WASP and their country. They flew every type of military aircraft in every kind of mission except combat. They ferried aircraft from factories to military installations. They towed aerial targets, transported cargo, and served in training exercises.

There were 38 of the, roughly, 1,100 women who lost their lives during the war. There are only about 300 surviving WASP. I am astounded by their tenacity and by their bravery. Yet, despite that dedication, these women have encountered difficulties in being recognized for their service. The WASP corps only received full military status

for their service in 1977 after having their records kept secret in classified archival files for more than 35 years.

Next week, on March 10, we will honor their legacy as the first female aviators in American military history with the award of the Congressional Gold Medal. This is the highest civilian honor Congress can give, and it is both well deserved and, certainly, long overdue.

I was proud to have been a co-lead with Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen on the bill awarding them this honor. It is wonderful to see this come to fruition.

Last year, the Union-Tribune in San Diego highlighted several of these women from my district, some of whom will be attending the ceremony next week. I look forward to meeting them, and I hope all of my colleagues will come and meet the WASP from their districts.

To quote Vivian Eddy, one of these intrepid women from my district, their desire to serve our country was ``not so much to prove anything to anybody but just to fly.''

This ceremony will be an illustrative example of our indebtedness to their fearless, selfless service. This group of unsung heroines demonstrates the courage of women in the past, the integrity with which women continue to serve today, and the enthusiasm of the young women who dream of serving this great Nation in the future.

I hope all of my colleagues will join me in thanking the WASP and their families by offering their support for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Klein).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, but I certainly wanted to say, and I appreciate the wonderful words of my colleague, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, that we are finally having an opportunity to recognize these women in a way that we should have done a long time ago. But we are going to be recognizing the Women Air Force Service Pilots with a Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. I certainly hope our colleagues will join us on March 10 in Emancipation Hall for a very special day, I know, to see and hear from these women who were far more than trailblazers; they served their country and they did it courageously. We are very proud of them and want to let them know how much we care about that service.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Today, I rise in support of this resolution, which will authorize the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event recognizing the Women Airforce Service Pilots as recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal.

The WASP program, as it was known, was the first introduction of female pilots into the United States armed services. During World War II, these women flew noncombat missions in support of the United States military. WASP pilots numbered in the thousands during World War II, and each woman who served in this capacity freed up one of her male counterparts for combat services and other duties. Just as many women performed operational roles on domestic U.S. bases, these female pilots played a critical role in helping to mobilize servicemen for deployment to the European and Pacific theatres of war.

I am pleased that Congress is able to host this exceptional group of women as they are honored for their contribution to our Nation. I hope my colleagues will join me both in thanking these women for their service to our Nation and in supporting this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida, Representative Ros-Lehtinen.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentlewoman from California and the gentlewoman from Florida for bringing this forward.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to stand in recognition of these wonderful women who provided such an important role in this war.

I would also like to specifically acknowledge Debbie Holthouse from Boynton Beach, Florida. She resides in my congressional district, and she is going to be honoring her mother.

Her mother is Bette Nogard, who served as a pilot during World War II. Bette Nogard died without any veterans benefits even though she risked her life for our freedom. She was a true hero. I am proud that Congress will be honoring her as well as these other women. I look forward to seeing her here in Washington.

I now ask we move to H. Con. Res. 239.

I ask unanimous consent the current resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and there be no intervening action or debate.