Rep. Ryan Zinke Stands for Women Airforce Service Pilots

Statement

Today Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke, Arizona Rep. Martha McSally and Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, all combat veterans, called on the Army to reinstate the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) at Arlington National Cemetery. Zinke joined McSally and Ernst in introducing the legislation, H.R. 4336, which has strong bipartisan support. The lawmakers have led the fight in Congress to restore the rights of WASPs, who were pioneering female World War II pilots, to have their ashes laid to rest at Arlington, a right that was revoked by the Army last year.

Montana has ties to many WASP pilots including, but not limited to, Evelyn Sharp of Melstone, Juanita Cooke who often flew out of Great Falls (Cooke's oral history), and the first Chinese-American woman to fly for the U.S. Hazel Ying-Lee, who died on a mission between New York and Montana.

Zinke said: "As a Commander, I look at the incredible asset that these pilots were to the mission dating as far back as WWII and it's overwhelmingly obvious that these women deserve to be buried in Arlington alongside their male counterparts. My daughter is a Navy Diver and to think that she wouldn't be respected and honored for doing her job as well as, if not better than, a male is not right. We need to have fair treatment for our veterans."

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