Should Female WWII Pilots Have A Place At Arlington Cemetery?
[2015-01-07 update] I added some pictures of the Arlington columbarium which takes up a fairly large area and is well organized and a place which shows respect for each of the dead whose ashes are there.
"Granted veteran status in 1977, the WASPs have been eligible to have their ashes placed at Arlington with military honors since 2002."
"Women in the military can seem like a modern advancement, but as these women show – we’ve had women nurses, doctors, and officers sacrifice in every war. There are many more women buried in Arlington National Cemetery, from wives of great Generals, to combat pilots who were killed in action. This self guided tour takes you around the cemetery as a whole to remember some notable women and their acts of selflessness and valor." - See more at: http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/self-guided-tour-notable-women-buried-arlington-national-cemetery/#sthash.ifUlXIaC.dpuf
Self-Guided Tour: Notable Women Buried in Arlington National Cemetery - Free Tours by Foot
Women in the military can seem like a modern advancement, but as these women show – we’ve had women nurses, doctors, and officers sacrifice in every war. There are many more women buried in Arlington National Cemetery, from wives of great Generals, to combat pilots who were killed in action. This self guided tour takes …
LTC Stephen F. CPT L S PO1 John Miller MAJ Dave Brady PVT Robert Gresham Jacob Hollander SSG (Join to see) SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" Capt Tom Brown Capt Seid Waddell SSG Jason Penn SFC Stephen King Cpl Kenneth Darby
The WASP organization was a paramilitary aviation organization for female civilian pilots employed to fly military aircraft under the direction of the Air force. The women were classified as "active duty designees"
The Merchant Marines are civilian mariners who occupy a fleet of U.S. civilian and federally owned ships, the Merchant Marine can be an auxiliary to the Navy, and can be called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military. The men were also classified as "active duty designees".
WWII Merchant Marines are eligible for burial in Arlington, if I'm reading correctly:
http://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/eligible.asp
Please note section E.
With that said, I agree with CPT Cannonie. If both groups have veterans status, why does one group (WASPs) not have the right to be buried in Arlington and other national cemeteries?
So no, not apples and oranges. Both groups have been granted veteran status.
Eligibility - National Cemetery Administration
The VA National Cemetery Administration honors the military service of our Nation's Veterans. We provide a dignified burial and lasting memorial for Veterans and their eligible family members and we maintain our Veterans' cemeteries as national shrines.