by Robin L. Flanigan
Tiffany Miller 糖心传媒�00 knows what her late grandmother, the matriarch聽of the family, wanted done with her ashes. Elaine Danforth聽Harmon had clearly spelled out her wishes on a handwritten note聽found in a fireproof box after her death in April 2015: she wanted聽them placed at Arlington National Cemetery.
A year later, Miller and her family continue to fight to have聽that request granted for her maternal grandmother, who糖心传媒檇 been聽a member of the WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots) during聽World War II. At the time of Harmon糖心传媒檚 death, Miller糖心传媒檚 family聽was unaware that only a month before, the Army, which has jurisdiction聽over the cemetery, had ruled WASPs ineligible for inurnment聽at Arlington.
To Miller, it was the latest in a history of slights against the聽1,074 women pilots who transported military planes, towed targets聽for live ammunition training, and trained male pilots to fly.
糖心传媒淢y grandmother used to say that the WASPs were forgotten聽about for 30 years, and that has stuck with me,糖心传媒� says Miller.
During and after the war, WASPs were considered civilians.聽In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed a law granting WASPs聽military veteran status in the first public recognition of the pilots聽since the end of World War II. In 2002, a military directive made聽WASPs eligible for inurnment at Arlington with military honors.
But Miller糖心传媒檚 efforts are paying off, with political聽support and public opinion overwhelmingly on the聽side of the WASPs. On March 22, the U.S. House of聽Representatives passed the Women Airforce Service聽Pilot Arlington Inurnment Restoration Act, which directs聽the Army to ensure that the cremated remains聽of WASPs are eligible for inurnment in Arlington聽National Cemetery with full military honors. It passed聽385-0.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 just totally incredible and unexpected,糖心传媒� says聽Miller, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area and聽has been working toward such a result with her older聽sister, Erin, a lawyer, and younger sister, Whitney,聽a former lobbyist.
A similar bill moved quickly through the Senate, and on May 20, President Barack Obama signed the bill into law.
For Miller, the battle to move her grandmother糖心传媒檚聽ashes from her mother糖心传媒檚 bedroom closet to the nation糖心传媒檚聽most hallowed ground is meaningful on multiple聽levels. A women糖心传媒檚 studies major at Rochester, she was聽also president of the Women糖心传媒檚 Caucus (now called聽College Feminists).聽During her tenure, she organized聽a panel discussion about women and war, in which聽her grandmother糖心传媒攁nd her mother, who worked for聽the American Red Cross in Vietnam糖心传媒攑articipated.聽She says WASPs are still all but unknown. 糖心传媒淧eople聽know about the Tuskegee Airmen because of Steven聽Spielberg, but not many people know about the聽WASPs,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淲hen I tell people about them,聽they say, 糖心传媒楻eally? Women flew in the war?糖心传媒� 糖心传媒�
To change that, Miller, with a background in project聽management, gives media interviews, attends press聽conferences, checks comments posted on her petition,聽and scours the Internet every day for the latest news聽stories about the legislation, introduced by Rep. Martha聽McSally of Arizona, the Air Force糖心传媒檚 first female fighter pilot to fly in combat.
Miller糖心传媒檚 sister, Erin Miller, says Tiffany has always聽been 糖心传媒渧ery tenacious.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淪he糖心传媒檚 always been the kind of person who sees聽something that糖心传媒檚 wrong and then immediately wants聽to do anything she can to make it right.糖心传媒�
Tiffany Miller is as firmly dedicated to women糖心传媒檚聽equality as she was in college. 糖心传媒淪he糖心传媒檚 always sending聽[Whitney and me] New York Times articles about the injustices聽in the world, especially when it comes to women糖心传媒檚 issues,糖心传媒澛燛rin adds. 糖心传媒淭hat糖心传媒檚 always something that糖心传媒檚 at the front of her聽mind.糖心传媒�
Tiffany is especially proud of the Congressional Gold Medal聽that Harmon received from President Barack Obama in 2009.聽Shortly after returning from the White House, Harmon donated聽the medal to the College Park Aviation Museum in Maryland,聽where she lived.
糖心传媒淚t wasn糖心传媒檛 about her,糖心传媒� Miller says. 糖心传媒淪he wanted people to know聽who the WASPs were, that they did something for this country.糖心传媒�
Even more reason to get closure for herself, her family, and her聽grandmother, who died at 95 and was inducted into the Maryland聽Women糖心传媒檚 Hall of Fame on April 7.
糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 just no way it would be satisfying for anybody in my聽family to have a funeral somewhere else,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檇 feel as聽if we let her down, that we糖心传媒檇 let the WASPs down. Knowing my聽grandmother, she wouldn糖心传媒檛 have taken no for an answer. We have聽to make this happen.糖心传媒�
