Honors then music

Historic contributions acknowledged:

WASPs honored 66 years after their service

Known as Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, they were the first women to fly U.S. military planes. The group of 1100 World War II non-military pilots made history, but were not acknowledged as veterans until 1977 and not acknowledged as heroes until this week when just over 200 of them gathered at the White House to receive their Congressional Medal of Honor.

The 1,100 female pilots were test and non-combat pilots flying government missions, filling in for men who were called to fly in World War II combat missions.

In all, 38 female pilots were killed during their service. Ironically enough, because the WASP were not formal military, the American flag could not be draped over their coffins. And because the female pilots were long considered civilians, they were not entitled to the pay and benefits given to men. When their unit was disbanded in 1944, many WASP even had to pay their own bus fare home.

They were finally given veteran status in 1977. About 300 of the WASPS are still living; of those, 200 of the female aviators, most in their late 80s and early 90s -- and some in wheelchairs, came to the Capitol this past Tuesday, March 9, to accept their overdue Congressional Medal of Honor.

Story Credit: National Public Radio

More Historic contributions:

Dorothy Jane Mills is finally acknowledged for her 30-year partnership in authoring seminal baseball history

Dorothy Jane Mills was supposed to feel honored last Monday when the Society for American Baseball Research, (SABR) included her late, first husband, Dr. Harold Seymour, in the inaugural class of the organization’s new de facto Hall of Fame. She was supposed to feel thankful that her assistance with Seymour’s seminal three-volume history of baseball, published sequentially from 1960 through 1990, would be acknowledged during his induction.

But Mills felt neither honored nor thankful. Instead, resentment that had percolated within her for 50 years — over how she had, in fact, co-written those books but received no credit — boiled over into heated discussions of historical record, academic honesty and what can best be described as intellectual spousal abuse.

The controversy ended Wednesday with SABR (pronounced say-ber), telling Mills that she would be honored equally with Seymour.

Story Credit: New York Times online

History just made:

Kathryn Bigelow is first woman ever, in the 82-year history of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Science to receive Best Film Director award. Her movie, "The Hurt Locker" was also honored as the Academy's 2010 Best Picture.

FACTOID: "The Hurt Locker" has grossed just over $20 million worldwide in tickets sold. "Avatar," which was also nominated in 9 Oscar categories, including Best Film, has grossed $2,601,207,106 worldwide.

It is said this is one of the few times in Oscar history that an "art" or "avant garde" film has beat a mega box office draw for top Oscar honors. The NY Times called this phenomenon, "Hollywood smiling with both its faces:" http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/movies/awardsseason/09carpet.html?em

Story Credit: Google news

Now, since it is Rhetorics "Music Week:" The song taking the Oscar for 2010 Best Song, "The Weary Kind," from the Oscar-nominated movie, "Crazy Heart," -- written by and performed next, by Ryan Bingham:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zelvaxvTaUk


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