TAKE A BREAK: WASPs Bound for Washington, Gold Medal
Female pilots from WWII get long overdue recognition
87 year old Lillian Yonally, of Colonie, is proud to be a WASP.
"Women Airforce Service Pilot."
She was one of a select bunch of women chosen for non-combat missions during World Was II. It was a dream for Lillian. One she'd had since she was a young girl when a pilot let her hold the controls while visiting the cockpit.
When the call went out for female pilots, Lillian answered.
Within no time at all, she completed the training and was living the dream.
"It's your complete life at that point and you do your darndest because you want very much to stay with it."
The airforce wasnt exactly ready for women. Uniforms had only been made for men.
Lillian recalls all they had for her was a size 40.
"We called them zootsuits. They were army coveralls in green."
The clothes didn't really matter much. For Lillian, it was all about the planes.
And the people.
"This was like a real sisterhood where you could bond."
The WASPs primary responsibilities were shuttling new planes back and forth to air bases and assisting in training exercises.
Lillian still gets a gleam in her eyes talking about a practice bombing run they did to help train ground troops.
She also towed targets behind her that the guys were shooting at. One of those guys gunning for her turned out to be her future husband, Jim.
"So he shot me down in a manner of speaking."
When the war ended, the opportunity for female pilots did too.
"The word came through, 'get yourself wherever you want to go by yourself. They're not paying anything.'"
"It was boxed up fo 35 years after we were sent back and nobody knew a thing about it."
"They didn't need us. The guys were coming back."
Finally, in July of 2009, President Obama gave the WASPs their due, granting each a congressional gold medal.
At last, recognition for what were among the most meaningful days of Lillian's life.
"I think my family would come along in that category also."
"But I did have some great times."
The medal ceremony in Washington DC is Wednesday at 11am.
