Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Poetic Obituaries: Despite their contribution, the WASPs were not

considered military personnel following their decommissioning in 1944, and were not entitled to veteran's benefits or honors. With the support of Col. Bruce Arnold, son of "Hap" Arnold, and Sen. Barry Goldwater, that situation was corrected in 1977. Mrs. [Marion] DeGregorio was among those who received the WWII Victory Medal.

Mrs. DeGregorio spent her last years in her beloved Greenwich Village. A voracious reader, she could recite dozens of poems from memory well into her 90s. "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by William Butler Yeats was a particular favorite.

from The Star-Ledger: Marion DeGregorio, pioneering pilot, 94

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