; (B) cash bonuses; (C) soldiers’ pensions; (D) flags on their coffins; and (E) the Victory Medals promised them in France. (27) For the next 60 years, female veterans, led by Merle Egan from Montana, petitioned Congress more than 50 times for their recognition. In 1977, under the sponsorship of Senator Barry Goldwater, Congress passed legislation to retroactively acknowledge the military service of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (referred to in this section as WASPs ) of World War II and the service of any person in any other similarly situated group the member of which rendered service to the Armed Forces of the United States in a capacity considered civilian employment or contractual service at the time such service was rendered . (28) On November 23, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed the legislation described in paragraph (27) into law as the GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977 ( Public Law 95–202