Following her recent trip to Normandy to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) highlighted two living World War II (WWII) veterans residing in Olympia: Harvey Drahos and Betty Dybbro.
“Local veterans deserve to be honored and recognized for their service to the nation,” said Strickland. “Mr. Drahos and Mrs. Dybbro are amongst the Greatest Generation – heroes who dedicated their service to defending the values of our nation during the Second World War. I am honored to represent them in Congress.”
Joining the Army in 1943 and rising to the rank of Technician Fifth Grade, Harvey Drahos was injured in the Battle of Okinawa where he nearly lost his life. Once discharged from duty in 1945 – one year before the conclusion of WWII – Drahos made community service and leadership his life’s work. Drahos has served on multiple service organization boards and dedicated 53 years to uplifting Washington State.
Nearly eight decades after his Military service, Harvey Drahos finally received his Purple Heart Medal in 2023. After receiving his Purple Heart, Strickland recognized Drahos on the House Floor.
The last surviving female WWII-era pilot in Washington, Betty Dybbro served in the Women Air Force Service Pilot (WASP) program during WWII, learning how to fly, repair, and test military planes. In 1945 – when the only airline jobs open to female pilots were as flight attendants – Dybbro became a flight instructor in Puyallup.
Following D-Day and the return of male pilots, the WASP program was disbanded in 1944. In 1977, alongside other WASP pilots, Dybbro finally gained veteran status. In 2009, former President Barack Obama bestowed the WASP program with Congressional Gold Medals.
The daughter of a World War II veteran, Congresswoman Strickland is a strong advocate for servicemembers, military families, defense communities, and veterans in Congress. As of 2023, there are 2,881 WWII living veterans in Washington State.
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