H.C.R. No. 120 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The members of the Texas Legislature are proud to 1-2 honor the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, who will 1-3 reunite for a 50th anniversary and memorial dedication ceremony in 1-4 Sweetwater on May 22, 1993; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Even before the United States' entry into World War 1-6 II, the need for large numbers of experienced aircraft pilots was 1-7 evident, and as early as May 1940 Nancy Harkness Love, the wife of 1-8 a prominent Army Air Force officer and an excellent pilot in her 1-9 own right, proposed recruiting a select group of highly qualified 1-10 women pilots to supplement the all-male ferrying unit then being 1-11 organized; and 1-12 WHEREAS, In the fall of 1942, General of the Air Force Henry 1-13 "Hap" Arnold authorized the organization of the Women's Auxiliary 1-14 Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), with Mrs. Love as its director, as part 1-15 of the USAAF Air Transport Command; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Soon afterward, the Women's Flying Training 1-17 Detachment was organized at Houston's Howard Hughes Field under the 1-18 direction of Jacqueline Cochran, one of the preeminent women 1-19 aviators of the 1930s, to train novice pilots for service in the 1-20 WAFS; the unit received more than 25,000 applications, including 1-21 some from other countries; and 1-22 WHEREAS, Throughout their posting at Howard Hughes Field and 1-23 later at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, the intrepid volunteers who 1-24 had been accepted for the training program were obliged to put up 2-1 with skepticism and resentment on the part of some male pilots, as 2-2 well as the ambivalent attitude of the USAAF itself; and 2-3 WHEREAS, The WAFS were initiated into the rigors of military 2-4 life and subject to military discipline, but because they were 2-5 civilians, they had to pay their own travel expenses and find their 2-6 own billets wherever they could; they had no uniforms, and they 2-7 were ineligible for hospitalization, insurance, and veterans' and 2-8 death benefits to which military personnel were entitled; and 2-9 WHEREAS, The women's dedication and enthusiasm carried the 2-10 day, however, and of the 1,830 admitted to the program as trainees, 2-11 1,074 won their wings; on August 5, 1943, the WAFS and the 2-12 Sweetwater trainees were merged into the Women Airforce Service 2-13 Pilots (WASP), which went on to compile an enviable record of 2-14 achievement; and 2-15 WHEREAS, The WASPs flew a total of 60 million miles for the 2-16 USAAF and delivered 12,650 aircraft of 77 different types, 2-17 including the B-29 Superfortress, the jet-propelled YP-59A, and 2-18 fully half of the high-speed pursuit planes ferried in the United 2-19 States; they laid smoke during exercises, engineered test flights, 2-20 simulated gas and low-level strafing attacks, trained radar and 2-21 searchlight trackers, and performed the especially perilous job of 2-22 towing sleeve-shaped muslin targets for student antiaircraft 2-23 gunners; and 2-24 WHEREAS, In performing the demanding and often hazardous 2-25 duties assigned to them, the WASPs lost 38 of their number in fatal 2-26 accidents; and 2-27 WHEREAS, The WASPs were discontinued on December 20, 1944, 3-1 and though their exemplary record inspired passage of a law in 1948 3-2 permitting women in the newly independent U.S. Air Force, the role 3-3 of these proud and courageous women as aviation pioneers and their 3-4 sacrifices in the service of their country have gone unsung for 3-5 many years; now, therefore, be it 3-6 RESOLVED, That the 73rd Legislature of the State of Texas 3-7 hereby commend the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II on 3-8 the occasion of their 50th anniversary and memorial dedication and 3-9 extend to these gallant veterans heartfelt and grateful 3-10 appreciation for their vital contribution to the American war 3-11 effort. 3-12 appreciation for their vital contribution to the American war 3-13 effort. 3-14 Counts 3-15 H.C.R. No. 120 3-16 _______________________________ _______________________________ 3-17 President of the Senate Speaker of the House 3-18 I certify that H.C.R. No. 120 was adopted by the House on 3-19 April 30, 1993, by a non-record vote. 3-20 _______________________________ 3-21 Chief Clerk of the House 3-22 I certify that H.C.R. No. 120 was adopted by the Senate on 3-23 May 11, 1993. 3-24 _______________________________ 3-25 Secretary of the Senate 3-26 APPROVED: _____________________ 3-27 Date 4-1 _____________________ 4-2 Governor