Ola Mildred Rexroat (August 28, 1917 – June 28, 2017) was the only Native American woman to serve in the

Women Airforce Service Pilots The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots) was a civilian women pilots' organization, whose members were United States federal civil service employees. Members of WASP became t ...

(WASP). Rexroat was born in

Argonia, Kansas Argonia is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 456. History Argonia was founded in 1881. It was named for the ship ''Argo'' in ...

, to a Euro-American father and an

Oglala The Oglala (pronounced , meaning "to scatter one's own" in Lakota language) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota, make up the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A majority of the Oglala live o ...

mother. The family moved to South Dakota when she was young, and she spent at least part of her youth on the

Pine Ridge Reservation The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation ( lkt, Wazí Aháŋhaŋ Oyáŋke), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located entirely within the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Grea ...

. She attended public school in Wynona, Oklahoma, for a time, and graduated from the St. Mary's Episcopal Indian School in

Springfield, South Dakota Springfield is a city in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,914 at the 2020 census. As of 2012, about 1,200 of the residents were inmates at Mike Durfee State Prison. Springfield was named on account of there b ...

, in 1932. Rexroat initially enrolled in a teachers college in

Chadron, Nebraska Chadron ( ) is a city and the county seat of Dawes County, in the state of Nebraska in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. This city is the location of Chadron State College. Chadron also is ...

, but left before completing her degree to work for what is now the

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and A ...

for a year. She earned a bachelor's degree in art from the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

in 1939. After college, she again worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in

Gallup, New Mexico Zuni: ''Kalabwaki'' , settlement_type = City , nickname = "Indian Capital of the World" , motto = , image_skyline = Gallup, New Mexico.jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_caption ...

for a year. Rexroat next worked for engineers building airfields, where she decided to learn how to fly. In order to do so, she would need her own airplane or to join the WASPs. Selecting the latter, she moved to Washington, D.C., with her mother and sisters, and was also employed at the Army War College. Rexroat then went for WASP training in

Sweetwater, Texas Sweetwater is a municipality in and the seat of Nolan County, Texas, United States. It is 123 miles southeast of Lubbock and 40 miles west of Abilene, Texas. Its population was 10,906 at the 2010 census. History The town's name "Sweetwater" is t ...

, and was assigned the dangerous job of towing targets for aerial gunnery students at

Eagle Pass Army Airfield Eagle Pass Army Airfield is a former World War II military airfield complex. It is located north of Eagle Pass, Texas. It operated as a training base for the United States Army Air Forces from 1943 until 1945. Later, during the Cold War, Eagl ...

after her graduation. She also helped transport cargo and personnel. When the WASPs were disbanded in December 1944, she joined the Air Force, where she served for ten years as an air traffic controller at Kirkland Air Force Base in New Mexico during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. She continued to work as an air traffic controller for the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

for 33 years after her time in the Air Force Reserves was complete. In 2007 she was inducted into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame. Rexroat died in June 2017 at the age of 99. Immediately before her death she was the last surviving WASP in South Dakota and one of 275 living WASPs out of the original 1,074. Several months after her death, the airfield operations building at

Ellsworth Air Force Base Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder, South Dakota, Box Elder. The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assi ...

was named after her.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rexroat, Ola Mildred 1917 births 2017 deaths Aviators from Kansas Aviators from South Dakota Oglala people People from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota People from Riley County, Kansas Women Airforce Service Pilots personnel University of New Mexico alumni Native American women aviators 20th-century Native American women 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native American women 21st-century Native Americans