We Salute This Month's Celebrations

Some special events are feted in August and early September. The Women's Memorial Foundation salutes:

August 4: It was on this day in 1790 that the US Coast Guard was established when the first Congress authorized the construction of ten vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling. Originally named the Revenue Cutter Service, the USCG received its present name in 1915 under an act of Congress when the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the Life-Saving Service. The Coast Guard is one of the oldest organizations of the federal government and, until the Navy Department was established in 1798, served as the nation's only armed force afloat. In times of peace the Coast Guard operates as part of the Department of Homeland Security, serving as the nation's front-line agency for enforcing our laws at sea, protecting the marine environment and our vast coastline and ports, and saving lives. In times of war, or at the direction of the President, the USCG serves under the Navy Department. More than 6,900 women serve in today’s Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve. If you are, or know of a woman who serves or served in the US Coast Guard, be sure she is registered with the Women’s Memorial. For more information on membership or to register, visit us online.

August 5: It was on this day in 1943 when the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) was established. Though qualified pilots, WASP were trained to fly "the Army way" by the US Army Air Forces at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, TX. More than 25,000 women applied for WASP service, and less than 1,900 were accepted. After completing months of military flight training, 1,078 of them earned their wings and became the first women in history to fly American military aircraft. After training, the WASP were stationed at 120 air bases across the US assuming numerous flight-related missions, relieving male pilots for combat duty. They flew 60 million miles of operational flights from aircraft factories to ports of embarkation and military training bases, towing targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice, simulated strafing missions, and transporting cargo. Almost every type of aircraft flown by the USAAF during World War II, including the early US jet aircraft, were also flown by the WASP, 38 of whom lost their lives while serving their country. Considered civil service employees, the WASP did not receive military benefits until 1977 when President Jimmy Carter signed the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977, granting the WASPs full military status for their service. Seven years later, in 1984, each WASP was awarded the World War II Victory Medal. Those who served for more than one year were also awarded the American Campaign Medal for their service during the war. On July 1, 2009, President Barack Obama signed legislation which authorized the award of the Congressional Gold Medal to the WASP in honor of their World War II service. The medal, which was unveiled at a ceremony on Capitol Hill on March 10, 2010, is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles airport. Some 175 WASP attended the event. To learn more about the WASP, visit the Wings Across America Web site. To view the WASP Congressional Gold medal ceremony, visit the C-SPAN Web site. We are proud to note that every WASP has been registered at the Women’s Memorial.

August 14: It was on this day in 1945 when the end of war with Japan was announced. With the European Axis Powers having surrendered some three months earlier, Emperor Hirohito’s acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration effectively ended World War II.

August 26: It was on this day in 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was officially adopted. The Nineteenth Amendment expressly guarantees that a citizen cannot be denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. The amendment finally granted women the right to vote. It became part of the Constitution on August 26, 1920, upon being ratified by Tennessee, the thirty-sixth state to do so.

August 26: Each year, Women’s Equality Day is celebrated on August 26, in honor of the signing of the Nineteenth Amendment, guaranteeing women of the United States the right to vote.

Sept. 2: Victory Over Japan Day, or V-J Day, is the name chosen for the day on which the surrender of Japan occurred, effectively ending World War II. It was on this day in 1945 when the formal surrender ceremony was performed in Tokyo Bay, Japan, aboard the battleship USS "Missouri." Some 400,000 women proudly served the nation in uniform during World War II.

Sept. 3: The American Revolution ended on this date in 1783. During the seven-year fight for independence, American women served on the battlefield as volunteer nurses, water bearers, cooks, laundresses and saboteurs. Several are also recorded to have dressed as men and fought as soldiers. Learn more from the History & Collections section of the Web site.

Sept. 7: Labor Day, observed on the first Monday in September, is a US Federal holiday that originated in Canada out of labor disputes. In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of the Canadian labor festivals. Inspired, he returned to New York City and organized the first American "labor day" on September 5 of the same year.

Sept. 10: Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) was founded on this date in 1942. The WAFS consisted of 28 commercially licensed women pilots who ferried aircraft to and from factories under the direction of Nancy Harkness Love. In 1943, the WAFS merged with the Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD), under the direction of Jacquelyn Cochran and soon became the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).

Sept. 11: Patriot Day, established in Oct. 2001, honors the 3,000 Americans killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

 

(August 2010)