pagesofhistory A Worthy Cause
Arizona Rep. Martha McSally fights to, once again, allow remains of Women Air Force Service Pilots to be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia following a 2015 ban.
F
emale aviators who served as Women Air Force Service Pilots, or WASPs, during World War II have
been prevented since 2015 from being inurned at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. But that soon might change thanks to a new bill, the WASP Arlington Inurnment Restoration (AIR) Act, ap- proved by the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee in late March. More than 1,000 female pilots were ap-
proved to become WASPs during World War II. Their noncombat responsibilities included ferrying aircraft, training combat pilots, and towing aerial targets during live artillery practice. Thirty-eight WASPs per- ished during their service. “These women fought, and died, in ser- vice of their country,” Arizona Rep. Martha McSally, a retired Air Force colonel, mili- tary pilot, and sponsor of the WASP AIR Act, said in a press release. “They trained in the military style: sleeping on metal cots, marching, and living under military discipline. They deserve the full honors we give our war heroes.” WASPs were allowed to have their ashes inurned at Arlington National Cem- etery starting in 2002. However, eligibility was rescinded in March 2015 by then-Sec- retary of the Army John McHugh. Prior to the recent House vote, acting Army Secre- tary Patrick Murphy said new legislation was the only way to resolve the matter. A bill similar to the WASP AIR Act was introduced in the Senate in January by Sen.
PHOTO: COURTESY WASP MUSEUM
Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and currently has 30 cosponsors but was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
H
Off to Greener Pastures orse-drawn caissons have car- ried fallen warriors and former presidents to their final resting
places at Ar- lington National Cemetery in Vir- ginia for decades. The horses of
the Army’s Old Guard, the Cais- son Platoon of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, are specially select- ed and trained for this impor- tant duty. When they retire from service, they are put up for adoption to the public. The adoption vetting process is rigor- ous and includes a home visit from an Army herd manager. Fifteen-year-old stan- dardbred Kennedy and 11-year-old quarter horse Quincy recently were adopted. According to the Old Guard, the adop-
tion program was established “to ensure each horse is rewarded with a great home following its well-earned retirement.”
MO
— Don Vaughan, a North Carolina-based free- lance writer, authors this monthly column.
To see a day in the life of a horse in the Army’s Old Guard Caisson Platoon, visit
http://bit.ly/1RFsgzq. MAY 2016 MILITARY OFFICER 81
History Lesson On May 2, 1946, Marines from Naval Station Treasure Island, Calif., assisted in sup- pressing a riot at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. The inci- dent later became known as the Battle of Alcatraz.
Members of a flight team of Women Air Force Service Pilots carry their para- chutes during ferry training at Lockbourne Army Air Base in Ohio.
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