Page 6 - Index

position report
by Dianne White
“Who’s yourhero?”Thatinquiryisoneofthego-toquestions journalists (like me) often ask when interviewing someone for a profile. It not only provides insight into one’s personality and motivations, it reveals the qualities or traits
the person values most.
For Washington attorney Erin Miller, the answer to that ques- tion is quite simple. Her hero is her grandmother, Elaine Danforth Harmon, who taught her what it means to be a self-reliant, resilient woman who can stand tough in the face of adversity.
“Growing up, I admired my grandmother’s independence and enthusiasm about life. She often encouraged me to fol- low my own path in life. I also admired how she was tough, having come of age during the Great Depression and lived through World War II, but also generous, kind, and polite. My grandmother loved the United States and tried to instill
in me the same love of country.”
There was another reason Miller – and many others – greatly admire her grandmother. Harmon was one of 1,100 women who served as pilots in the U.S. Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP); women who answered the call to serve their country during WWII and did so despite tremendous difficulties and little acknowledgement after the war ended. After training with other WASPs at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, Harmon was sent to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas to work with male pilots on refreshing their instrument skills. Dur- ing her service, she flew the PT-17 Stearman, BT-13 Valiant, the AT-6 Texan and the B-17 Flying Fortress.
I met Miller at EAA AirVenture this past summer, and had the opportunity to learn how her love and admiration of her grandmother turned into dogged determination to grant Harmon’s last request to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1975, Harmon was among the WASPs who testified before Congress to lobby for full veterans’ rights, which finally became reality in 1977. Then in 2002, the WASPs were granted eligibility for Arlington honors, but that ruling was reversed by the Army in 2015. Despite receiving the Congressional Gold Medal for their service in 2010, they were once again remanded to second- class status. After Harmon passed away April 21, 2015, Miller and her family saw this fight to honor
Harmon’s burial request as a symbol to make difference once and for all on behalf of all WASPs.
“Obviously, I wanted my grandmother to be laid to rest at the cemetery of her choice. But part of what motivated me was knowing that she had been fighting, along with her WASP colleagues, to be recognized as equals in veterans’ law since World War II, and the fact that she was no longer here meant that someone had to carry on that fight and I was honored to do so. Additionally, there were still other members of the WASP alive, and regardless of whether they ultimately choose to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, my family and I wanted to fight to ensure that they knew
The Hero’s Honor They Deserve
4 • TWIN & TURBINE
October 2018