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Local Women WWII Veterans Receive Congressional Gold Medals
Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, this week offered her congratulations to three Central Coast women receiving the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol’s Emancipation Hall.
Edna Davis and Carol Selfridge, both of Santa Barbara, made the trip to Washington with their families to receive the honor along with dozens of other former members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II. Mary Lewis, also of Santa Barbara, was unable to attend the ceremony, but Capps is expected to present her with her Congressional Gold Medal this spring.
“The WASPs represent our country at its finest,” Capps said. “They answered their country’s call when we needed them most, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their heroic service. This recognition is long overdue and is a fitting honor for these brave, pioneering women.
“During the ceremony, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke of a song lyric sung by the WASPs during their training sessions many decades ago that went, ‘If you have daughters, teach them to fly.’ I think every American woman should consider themselves the daughters of these remarkable women.”
Selfridge was a mother of two daughters when she served as a WASP. Upon her discharge, she and her husband had two more children and have lived in Santa Barbara for many decades. Her granddaughter Christy Kayser-Cook is also a pilot, and was recently promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force.
After her discharge, Davis lived in various cities around the country with her husband, Jack, also a former pilot. She owned The Travel Place, a travel agency, and has visited nearly 200 countries over the course of her life. She and her husband moved to the Central Coast in the 1990s to be nearer to their son.
Women Airforce Service Pilots of WWII were the first women in history to fly U.S. military aircraft. They flew fighter, bomber, transport and training aircraft, all while facing overwhelming cultural and gender bias against women in such nontraditional roles. Through their actions, the WASP were a catalyst for revolutionary reform in the integration of women pilots into the armed services.
— Randolph Harrison is the chief of staff for Rep. Lois Capps.
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