Flying High | Female pilot gets Congressional Gold Medal for service during WWII

Published 3:51 pm Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Bellevue resident Nancy Dunnam will be awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for her service with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), who flew non-combat military missions during World War II so their male counterparts could be deployed overseas.

The honor comes after President Barack Obama signed legislation on July 1 to recognize the group.

“It’s very exciting,” Dunnam said.

WASPs flew every type of military aircraft, logging 60 million miles and losing 38 women along the way. They are credited with paving the way for females to participate in military flight training, which was banned until the 1970s.

Dunnam, 86, is one of 300 surviving WASPs out of the 1,102 women who earned their wings.

The Congressional Gold Medal is considered the highest form of government recognition for civilians. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Bothell was a co-sponsor of the bill to bestow WASPs with the honor.

Recipients of the medal typically meet for formal recognition in Washington, D.C.

“I don’t know whether I’ll go or not, but my kids will probably drag me there,” Dunnam said.