Last night (¡gracías TiVo!) I watched one of the best episodes of American Experience ever. Fly Girls told the story of Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in WWII who shuttled bombers from factories to bases all over the country. The women suffered discrimination and even sabotage. On one particular base, two women were killed and one seriously injured over the course of a single month. Investigators discovered sugar in the gas tanks of one downed plane, and found mechanical flaws with others—flaws that should have grounded the planes but somehow didn't. The WASP weren't militarized during the war, so they were classified as civilians. They didn't receive veteran status or benefits. When they were killed, the military didn't even send the bodies home. The other women contributed the money to send their friend's body home.
Watching this program made me cognizant of just how far we've come, and made me so grateful for the courageous actions of these women. And I was reminded that we've still got some work to do, and we shouldn't be afraid to do it—take risks, dare to be the first woman President of the United Statesto set foot on the moonto win the Indy 500or the Kentucky Derbyor become Chair(wo)man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dare to be First. Because there are still trails to be blazed.