A replica of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the WASP is on display in the museum. On March 10, 2010 our nation recognized the service of the Women Airforce Service Pilots by awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, D.C.. One-hundred and seventy-five of the almost three hundred living WASP were at our nation’s capitol to receive this great honor. Those who could not travel and the families of the deceased WASP were also awarded a medal.
Our new Jacqueline Cochran exhibit reveals her (see bio) connections with the movers and shakers of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Her marriage to Floyd Odlum, a lawyer and industrialist who also held a major stake in RKO Films, set her in a circle of friends that included Walt Disney, Bob Hope, the Rat Pack, and Clark Gable, as well as Chuck Yeager and Amelia Earhart. Jackie and Floyd entertained Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy at their ranch.
Exhibit donor Geneva Gordon-Derr and Jacqueline Cochran became friends in the Hollywood social scene. Geneva’s husband, the mayor of Riverside, served as the Director of Parks and Recreation with Disneyland within his realm of authority. Geneva stood in for Jackie at events on occasion, even wearing her medals when representing her. Geneva sang on some of Bob Hope’s USO tours, too. Jacqueline Cochran’s interest in beauty products through her cosmetic line and the fact that Geneva Gordon-Derr was a beautiful model also brought them together.
The National WASP World War II Museum greatly appreciates this gift by Geneva Gordon-Derr and James Adams.
Serving our country as a B-1 Bomber pilot and instructor, Board Member Major Bridget McNamara shares the story of the WASP at any opportunity partly because she credits the WASP with opening the door to women pilots in the military. Go to this link for an interesting interview with Major McNamara:
http://www.maxwellgunterdispatch.com/article/20100115/
DISPATCH01/100115011/1114/DISPATCH
Special Thanks to…
Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce
Wal-Mart
Creative Graphic Solutions
Dyess Air Force Base Personnel
Brookshires Food Store
Longhorn Liquor
Jack’s Liquor
Higginbotham-Bartlett Co.
State Representative Susan King
Sweetwater Floral
Sweetwater Reporter News
Sweetwater Woman’s Forum
Sweetwater Machine & Welding
Sweetwater Municipal Band
All of our Great Volunteers
Sponsors for Homecoming 2010
Gold Medal Sponsors
Dodge Jones Foundation
Lawrence Brothers
McCoy’s Funeral Home
Texas National Bank
Silver Medal Sponsors
Altezza, Inc.
Van Baucum Real Estate
Bennett & Associates
Jeannette & Loren Bryant
Carol & John Paul Cain
Cox Jewelry
Kathy Dickson
First Financial Bank
Peter Fox
Linda & Bill Hunter
JoAnne & Marvin Keenan
Kathy & Allen King
Ludlum Measurements
Mustang Tire
Rolling Plains Hospital
Sandra Spears
Beth & Homer Taylor
Texas State Technical College
Micki Wright & Sharron Davis
Thank You WASP for Coming Home
to
Avenger Field
Meriem Anderson 44-4 Jean McCreery 44-10
Marie Shelton Bray 44-4 Betty Jo Streff Reed 44-7
Edna Modisette Davis 43-5 Florence “Shutsy” Reynolds 44-5
Mary Helen Chapman Foster 44-3 Flora Belle Smith Reece 44-4
Eleanor “Gundy” Gunderson 44-7 Mary Alice Putnam Vandeventer 44-7
Ann Morgan Hazzard 43-7 Pauline Cutler White 44-5
Elaine Harmon 44-9 Lucille Doll Wise 44-7
Dot Swain Lewis 44-5 “Marty” Martin Wyall 44-10
Lillian Lorraine Yonally 43-7
A climate-controlled addition is needed at the National WASP WWII Museum to preserve the many precious artifacts and display them properly. Great progress has been made in the last five years bringing Hangar One alive with the WASP story, but there is still much to be done. The legacy these courageous women left us must be shared with all generations. We have a great story to tell and we need to keep moving forward, improving upon what has been accomplished, and we need your support! Call Sharron Davis at 325-235-0099 or email her through the website to learn how you can help.
Click on this link to see and hear Congressman Mike Conaway giving his speech in support of the WASP Congressional Gold Medal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_Zy4pv8Row
