Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabrielle Joyner | 150724-N-WC566-080 PEARL HARBOR (July 24, 2015) Gy. Sgt. Aaron Jackson (left), a guest...... read more read more
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PEARL HARBOR - The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor (PAM) hosted a celebration in honor of Amelia Earhart’s 118th birthday, July 24.
Visitors and guests were invited to participate in a “Dress Like Amelia Earhart” look-alike contest, meet with modern women in aviation and browse through the Amelia Earhart exhibit.
“This is an annual thing we do for the local community and they love it,” said Anne Murata, director of Marketing and Business Development at the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. “We like to honor Amelia Earhart on her birthday every year because she was a big fan of Hawaii and here on Pearl Harbor she is especially revered, because she was an aviator who set all kinds of records that men hadn’t even set, and she did amazing things.”
Elizabeth Gipe, a visitor on vacation to Hawaii, brought her two daughters to the Amelia Earhart event and explained that it was a good time for her and her girls to learn about women in history.
“I think it’s awesome that they do stuff like this every year, especially when we just happened to be here during this time,” said Gipe. “I was telling my little one who was a little afraid to go up to the stage for the trivia game, ‘if you don’t go out there and try, you won’t accomplish, and if you don’t fail a few times, you won’t learn.’ Like with Amelia, she had to go out and push and try until she accomplished what she wanted. I want them to learn to take that chance.”
Earhart made two flights to Hawaii, completing a first solo flight from Hawaii to California in 1935, and again in 1937 in preparation for her around-the-world flight.
“She was a big fan of Hawaii,” said Murata. “She brought a lot of attention and awareness to Hawaii, which helped our visitor industry, and here on Pearl Harbor she is especially revered because of her history attempting flight right here on Ford Island."
Members from the Ninety Nines, Inc. were also in attendance at the event. The Ninety Nines are an international organization of licensed women pilots from 35 countries. The organization was named for the 99 women pilots that made up the charter, which Amelia Earhart was made the first president.
”It doesn’t matter how old you are. I got my license at 50 years old,” said Germaine Toguchi, a member of the Ninety Nines and a volunteer at the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. “You can get your private pilot license just to feel what it’s like to take off and land the plane and to be up there in the air, and the Ninety Nines actually do that. They help advance, educate and promote female pilots in this organization.”
According to Gipes oldest daughter, Victoria, learning the history, life, and legacy of Earhart sends an important message to future generations.
“If we don’t learn about people like Amelia, we won’t learn that it’s okay to push yourself, and we will never know what we are capable of," said Victoria.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.27.2015 19:24 |
| Story ID: | 171277 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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