AS IT IS 2015-06-08 Woman World War II Pilot Honored

AS IT IS 2015-06-08 Woman World War II Pilot Honored

During World War II, American women pilots were trained to fly non-combat missions so that men could fly fighter planes. U.S. officials gave the women permission to fly military aircraft as civilian¹ pilots, but not in battle or over enemy lines.

Bernice Falk Haydu was one of those pilots. She is now 94 years old. She was recently recognized for her service. She received an honorary doctorate² from the Vaughn College of Aeronautics³ and Technology in New York City.

She and the other women pilots volunteered to fly in what was a time of great crisis in the United States and around the world. Women who knew how to fly airplanes wanted to become active in the war effort.

In 1943, the U.S. government created a group it called WASP⁴ -- the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots. Its members did not belong to the armed forces, so they did not get the pay, health care and other benefits that military pilots received. Twenty-five thousand women asked to become WASPs⁵, but just 1,800 were accepted. Of that, 1,000 completed the training. Bee Haydu was one of them.

“Flying at night so that the beacons⁶ would have an opportunity to practice, to towing targets so that the anti-aircraft could shoot at the target with live bullets. And, I think that was one of the most dangerous jobs.”

Thirty-eight of the WASPs died during World War II. Bee Haydu says she knew the work was dangerous, but it was something she had to do.

“I wanted to do more for my country than what I was doing, just being a secretary in a war-related product. However, I wanted to do more. And, so, I felt a little more fulfilled when I was flying for the country.”

In 1977, the government ruled that the WASPs were military veterans. They could receive the same benefits as men who fought in the war.

In 2009, Bee Haydu went to the White House to see President Barack Obama sign a bill that awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to all the female fliers.

“I was one of three WASPs who was there who, who witnessed him sign it. I was impressed. He's a wonderful talker.”

Bee Haydu told students at Vaughn College that she had to use her own money to travel to a base in Texas and to pay for her military uniform. She says she and the other women were paid $250 a month.

She says in those days women did not fly big military planes.

“The significance is that we dared to cross the line and fly large military aircraft. So, you know, cause never before had bombers⁷, pursuits -- all kinds of trainers -- been flown. We flew every aircraft manufactured for World War Two.” 

Bee Haydu says she loved to fly and is honored to have helped her country.

She was married for 50 years.

To a pilot, of course.

Words in This Story

mission – n. a flight by an aircraft or spacecraft to perform a specific task

honorary – adj. given as a sign of honor or achievement

doctorate – n. the highest degree that is given by a university

benefits – n. something extra (such as vacation time or health insurance) that is given by an employer to workers in addition to their regular pay

tow – v. to pull a vehicle or a plane behind another vehicle or plane, often with a rope or chain

fulfilled – adj. feeling happy and satisfied about life; feeling that your abilities and talents are being fully⁸ used

impressed – adj. the state of feeling admiration⁹ or interest

significance – n. the meaning of something

dare(d) – v. to have had enough courage or confidence to do something; to not have been too afraid to do something

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

3 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

4 wasp   

n.黄蜂，蚂蜂

参考例句：

• A wasp stung me on the arm.黄蜂蜇了我的手臂。
• Through the glass we can see the wasp.透过玻璃我们可以看到黄蜂。

5 wasps   

黄蜂( wasp的名词复数 )； 胡蜂； 易动怒的人； 刻毒的人

参考例句：

• There's a wasps' nest in that old tree. 那棵老树上有一个黄蜂巢。
• We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but of quite harmless ones like moths. 我们不仅生活在对象蜘蛛或黄蜂这样的小虫的惧怕中，而且生活在对诸如飞蛾这样无害昆虫的惧怕中

6 beacons   

灯塔( beacon的名词复数 )； 烽火； 指路明灯； 无线电台或发射台

参考例句：

• A chain of beacons was lit across the region. 整个地区点起了一系列灯塔。
• Lighthouse and beacons flash at night. 晚上灯塔与信号台闪着光。

7 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。