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VIENNA -- One woman's tenacity helped bring recognition to another's perseverance generations apart.
Erin Miller, an author and granddaughter of Elaine Danforth Harmon, who was a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP), was the keynote speaker at the traveling World War II exhibit Rise Above Triumph Over Adversity at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport on Saturday afternoon. The talk came on the 13th anniversary of the signing of a bill recognizing the WASPs after Miller worked to get it passed decades after her grandmother served. It was signed by former President Barack Obama on May 20, 2010, and gold medals were given to 300 WASPs in attendance.
In addition to the WASPs, the traveling exhibit, which was brought to the area by Jim Valesky of the Warren Heritage Center, also told the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, well known as the Red Tail Squadron. The free exhibit ends today.
The WASP portion of the exhibit is dedicated to honoring the trailblazing women of World War II for their courage and determination to serve the country. This group of American women persevered through disparity and disapproval of others as they forged ahead and served with distinction as the first women to fly American military aircraft.
"These groups displayed perseverance and grit, which demonstrates to all people that if you believe in yourself you can excel in anything you set your mind to, and overcome any disincentive in your way by showing others that you can and will excel," Miller said.
She previously authored two books and finished her book signing before beginning her hourlong lecture. To make certain that no one forgets about her grandmother and all of the other WASPs, she published a book for adults called "Final Flight Final Fight" and a more elementary book for children called "What Grandma Did."
Miller also is a full-time attorney and takes time to travel and lecture as much as possible in honor of her grandmother.
Her grandmother was quite the tomboy and always dreamed of becoming a pilot, Miller said.
"Granny Elaine," as Miller called her, was born in 1919 and went to school in Maryland.
She also graduated from the University of Maryland. Upon graduation, she found out about a government program called the Civilian Pilot Training Program.
Danforth Harmon's father, a professional baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, had to give permission since she was not quite 21. He approved, but the military only allowed one woman for every 10 men in this program in 1940. She was one of the few chosen out of thousands.
Danforth Harmon trained hard in ground school and in the air and accumulated many flight hours. Then in 1941, Pearl Harbor happened. That same year, the cover of Life Magazine read "Women are encouraged to join the new WASP program because of the shortage of pilots."
Because she already was a pilot, she had a great opportunity to be selected. She was one of 1,800 chosen out of the more than 1 million who applied, Miller said.
These women had to learn to fly every plane available at that time, and Granny Elaine did. They flew BT-13, B-29 and so many others. Out of 1,132 who served, 38 women died during the war.
Their job was not to be involved in combat, but to assist the pilots when a pilot needed an aircraft replacement. The Rosie Riveters would repair the damaged planes.
The mechanics would get them ready for flight and the WASPs would deliver the planes to any location in the United States. Without these women in transport flight mode on a daily basis, the war might have ended with a different story, Miller said.
Following the war's end in 1944, the government announced the WASPs would not be included in any GI Bill, would receive no compensation and would not be given a rank. These women flew more than 50 million miles and delivered more than 50,000 planes during their wartime service.
"One of grandma's final wishes was to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and the government also denied that," Miller said.
So she went to work and, with the help of several people in Washington, D.C., and Miller pounding the pavement to get more than 178,000 signatures, a bill was proposed and passed by the House, then Congress, but changes were made that delayed its passage, Miller explained.
"Even though my grandmother gave lectures across the country for the WASPs, she finally got her due and I'm here to continue her legacy and make certain everyone hears Granny's story. No one should ever give up. Stick up for what's right and do whatever it takes to get the job done," Miller said.
Elaine Danforth Harmon died in 2015 at the age of 95. Her ashes are buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
If you go …
WHAT: Rise Above: Triumph Over Adversity traveling World War II exhibit
WHERE: Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, Vienna
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today
COST: Free, but donations will be accepted.