Photo by Adam Skoczylas At the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, Deanie Parrish, a Women Air Force Service pilot, was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of all WASPs, by Lt. Col. Nicole Malachowski, Congressman John Boehner, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Harry Reid, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Tom Brokaw for being the first females to fly military aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

According to the WASP archive at Texas Woman’s University, between 1942 and 1944, at the height of World War II, more than a thousand women left homes and jobs for the opportunity of a lifetime — to become the first in history to fly for the U.S. military.

To pay tribute to these women and to their ultimate sacrifices in service to the country, the U.S. Air Force honored them with a wreath-laying and remembrance ceremony Tuesday at the Air Force Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony was followed by a reception at the Woman’s Memorial.

Eileen McDargh, John McDargh and Susan Mullens all attended the ceremony and reception on behalf of their mother, Mary Reineberg, a former WASP pilot. They all sat huddled together holding her picture throughout the ceremony. When the jets flew over McDargh began to cry.

‘‘Our mother is still living in California,” McDargh said. ‘‘She is 93 years old, and unable to travel anymore so we came out on her behalf. To this day every time our mother sees a plane fly over she still says, ‘You lucky stiff.’”

A Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for WASPs took place Wednesday. Women in their 80’s and 90’s were given medals, for flying fighter, bomber, transport, and training aircraft, for the Army Air Force during World War II. The women were officially named WASPs by orders of Gen. Hap Arnold, commanding general for the Army Air Forces.

President Barack Obama signed legislation honoring the WASP women with Congressional Gold Medals. About 300 survivors and representatives of the late pilots gathered for a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol.

Trainees who were killed during training were also eligible for medals and a Family member of a deceased WASP received a bronze medal on behalf of the Family.

There were 1,114 bronze medals awarded. Eleven of these bronze medals went to WASP trainees who died during their training. One-thousand one-hundred two bronze medals were awarded to WASP survivors, and one bronze medal was dedicated to Jacqueline Cochran, founder of the WASPs.

Deanie Parrish was asked to give an acceptance and word of thanks speech to conclude the ceremony.

‘‘I am humbled to be asked to represent the WASP woman. Every one of these women deserves to be standing where I am standing,” Parrish said. ‘‘I think I speak for every WASP when I say it is both a privilege and honor to serve our country during the hardest days of World War II.”