Petition updateGrant Military Burial Honors to Women WWII PilotsDay of Remembrance-And Thanks
Tiffany Miller @tiffbmillerWalnut Creek, CA, United States
Apr 21, 2016
Dear Amazing Supporters, One year ago today, my grandmother, Elaine Danforth Harmon, passed away after a long battle with cancer. She was the most resilient person I have ever met. She was diagnosed with cancer in her late 80s and spent several years driving herself to and from chemotherapy, simply saying that it made her a little tired but that's it. Even in her last years when she started losing her hearing, eye sight and some of her memories, she was still sharp as a tack whenever I would ask her something about her time as a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP). She was so proud to be part of that special group of women, and as all of you supporters know, it was her last wish to have her ashes placed beside her sister WASP and other veterans in Arlington National Cemetery. About a week and a half before my grandmother passed away, she had a stroke which rendered her unable to eat or drink. She was then transferred to a hospice for end of life care. Even after my family told me that Gammy was in the hospice, it didn't sink in that her days were numbered. Luckily, my sister Erin clarified for me that this was the end. It just never even occurred to me. I had somehow come to think of Gammy as being sort of invincible. I feel very lucky that I was able to fly on a red eye and spend some time with my grandmother in her final hours, singing old songs and holding her hand. When Gammy took her final flight, it was devastating to me and to everyone in our family. It has been very sad not being able to gather as a family and say our final goodbyes at a funeral. When we first received the letter from Arlington saying that Gammy was not eligible to be there, it was infuriating. Since then we've been on a long, interesting journey which has given me so much hope and encouragement. Although clearly someone made the wrong call by barring the WASP from Arlington, it fills me with joy every day being able to read the comments on my petition and knowing that we have so much public support for my grandmother and all the WASP. It is also incredible and amazing to have so many fervent supporters in Congress and to know that a law has already passed the House (unanimously!) to restore the WASP's access to Arlington. We are now waiting for the Senate to move this legislation to the floor for a vote. This is where you come in! We have almost 180,000 signatures on our petition. Please continue to distribute the petition far and wide (change.org/wasp). It would be great to get up to 200,000 signatures soon. The strength of the petition really has made an impact in Congress and is making legislators sit up and pay attention to this issue. Thank you again so much for your heartfelt support! I am looking forward to writing you a victory update soon! Kind regards, Tiffany (Below is a photo of my grandmother with Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, lead sponsor of the WASP A.I.R. Act in the Senate.)
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