The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots
) was a
civilian
Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, b ...
women pilots' organization, whose members were
United States federal civil service
The United States federal civil service is the civilian workforce (i.e., non-elected and non-military public sector employees) of the United States federal government's departments and agencies. The federal civil service was established in 1871 ( ...
employees. Members of WASP became trained pilots who tested aircraft, ferried aircraft, and trained other pilots. Their purpose was to free male pilots for combat roles during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Despite various members of the armed forces being involved in the creation of the program, the WASP and its members had no military standing.
WASP was preceded by the
Women's Flying Training Detachment The Women's Flying Training Detachment was a group of women pilots during World War II. Their main job was to take over male pilot's jobs, such as ferrying planes from factories to United States Army Air Force installations, in order to free male pi ...
(WFTD) and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). Both were organized separately in September 1942. They were pioneering organizations of civilian women pilots, who were attached to the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
to fly military aircraft during World War II. On August 5, 1943, the WFTD and WAFS merged to create the WASP organization.
[
The WASP arrangement with the ]US Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
ended on December 20, 1944. During its period of operation, each member's service had freed a male pilot for military combat or other duties. They flew over 60 million miles; transported every type of military aircraft; towed targets for live anti-aircraft gun
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
practice; simulated strafing
Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons.
Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such ...
missions and transported cargo. Thirty-eight WASP members lost their lives and one, Gertrude Tompkins, disappeared while on a ferry mission, her fate still unknown. In 1977, for their World War II service, the members were granted veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that has ...
status, and in 2009 awarded the Congressional Gold Medal
The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...
.
Creation of the WASP
WASP started out as two separate organizations. Pilot Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran wrote to the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
, in 1939 to suggest the idea of using women pilots in non-combat missions. Cochran was introduced by Roosevelt to General Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...
, chief of the Army Air Force
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, and to General Robert Olds
Robert Olds (June 15, 1896 – April 28, 1943) was a general officer in the United States Army Air Forces, theorist of strategic air power, and proponent of an independent United States Air Force. Olds is best known today as the father of Brig. ...
, who became the head of the Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.
It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...
(ATC). Arnold asked her to ferry a bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
to Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
in order to generate publicity for the idea of women piloting military aircraft. Cochran did go to England, where she volunteered for the Air Transport Auxiliary
The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factori ...
(ATA) and recruited American women pilots to help fly planes in Europe. Twenty-five women volunteered for the ATA with Cochran. The American women who flew in the ATA were the first American women to fly military aircraft. While in England, Cochran studied the organization of both the ATA and the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF).
In the summer of 1941, Cochran and test-pilot Nancy Harkness Love
Nancy Harkness Love (February 14, 1914 – October 22, 1976), born Hannah Lincoln Harkness, was an American pilot and airplane commander during World War II. She earned her pilot's license at age 16. She worked as a test pilot and air racer in th ...
independently submitted proposals to the U.S. Army Air Forces to allow women pilots in non-combat missions after the outbreak of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in Europe. The plan was to free male pilots for combat roles by using qualified female pilots to ferry aircraft from the factories to military bases, and also to tow drones and aerial targets. The U.S. was building its air power and military presence in anticipation of direct involvement in the conflict, and had belatedly begun to drastically expand its men in uniform. This period led to the dramatic increase in activity for the U.S. Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
, because of obvious gaps in "manpower" that could be filled by women. To compensate for the manpower demands of the military after the attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
, the government encouraged women to enter the workforce to fill both industrial and service jobs supporting the war effort.
WAFS
Nancy Harkness Love
Nancy Harkness Love (February 14, 1914 – October 22, 1976), born Hannah Lincoln Harkness, was an American pilot and airplane commander during World War II. She earned her pilot's license at age 16. She worked as a test pilot and air racer in th ...
's husband, Robert Love, was part of the Army Air Corps Reserve and worked for Colonel William H. Tunner
William Henry Tunner (July 14, 1906 – April 6, 1983) was a general officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces. Tunner was known for his expertise in the command of large-scale military airlif ...
. When Robert Love mentioned that his wife was a pilot, Tunner became interested in whether she knew other women who were pilots. Tunner and Nancy Love met and began to plan an aviation ferrying program involving women pilots. More formally, on June 11, 1942, Colonel Tunner suggested putting women pilots into the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). However, there were technical problems with this suggestion, so it was decided to pursue hiring civilian pilots for the ATC instead. By June 18, Love had drafted a plan to send to General Harold L. George
Harold Lee George (July 19, 1893 – February 24, 1986) was an American aviation pioneer who helped shape and promote the concept of daylight precision bombing. An outspoken proponent of the industrial web theory, George taught at the Air Corps T ...
who sent the proposal onto General Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...
. Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
wrote about women working as pilots during the war in her September 1 "My Day" newspaper column, supporting the idea. General George again broached the idea with General Arnold, who finally, on September 5, directed that "immediate action be taken and the recruiting of women pilots begin within twenty-four hours." Nancy Harkness Love was to be the director of the group and she sent out 83 telegrams
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
to prospective women pilots that same day.
The Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) went into operation publicly on September 10, 1942. Soon, the Air Transport Command began using women to ferry planes from factory to airfields
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publi ...
. Love started with 28 women pilots, but they grew in number during the war until there were several squadrons. Requirements for recruits were that they had to be between ages 21 and 35, have a high school diploma, a commercial flying license, 200 horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
engine rating, 500 hours of flight time and experience in flying across the country.
Uniforms for the WAFS were designed by Love and consisted of a gray gabardine
Gabardine
Burberry advertisement for waterproof gabardine suit, 1908
Gabardine is a durable twill worsted wool, a tightly woven fabric originally waterproof and used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, windbreakers, outerwear and o ...
jacket with brass buttons and square shoulders. The uniform could be worn with gored skirts or slacks also made of gabardine. Because they had to pay for their own uniforms, only 40 women ever wore the WAFS uniform. All WAFS were issued a flight uniform of khaki
The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge.
Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...
flight coveralls, a parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
, goggles
Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...
, a flying scarf and leather flying jacket
A flight jacket is a casual jacket that was originally created for pilots and eventually became part of popular culture and apparel. It has evolved into various styles and silhouettes, including the "letterman" jacket and the fashionable "bomber ...
sporting the ATC patch.
Headquarters for WAFS was established at the new (May 1943) New Castle Army Air Base
New Castle National Guard Base is a United States Air Force installation under the control of the Delaware Air National Guard, located at New Castle Airport in New Castle County, Delaware.
Overview
The base is the home of the 166th Airlift Wi ...
(the former Wilmington Airport). Tunner ensured that there were quarters for the women to live in at the base.
WAFS worked under a 90 day, renewable contract. WAFS earned $250 a month and had to provide and pay for their own room and board
Room and board is a phrase describing a situation in which, in exchange for money, Manual labour, labor or other considerations, a person is provided with a place to live as well as meals on a comprehensive basis. It commonly occurs as a fee at h ...
.[ and ]
The first group of WAFS recruits were known as the Originals. Betty Gillies
Betty Gillies (January 7, 1908 – October 14, 1998) was an American aviator, and the first pilot to qualify for the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron
The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Aux ...
was the first woman to show up for training. On October 6, Gillies was made an executive officer
An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...
and second-in-command of the WAFS. Gillies was familiar with drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
and command techniques which she had learned at finishing school. The first WAFS assignment was run by Gillies on October 22, 1942. Six WAFS would ferry six L-4B Cubs from the factory to Mitchel Field
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territory ...
. The original squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...
of 28 was reduced to 27 when Pat Rhonie left on December 31 after disagreeing with Colonel Baker.
The WAFS each had an average of about 1,400 flying hours and a commercial pilot rating. They received 30 days of orientation to learn Army paperwork and to fly by military regulations
Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. For ...
. Afterward, they were assigned to various ferrying commands. At the beginning of 1943, three new squadrons were formed. The 4th Ferrying Group was in Romulus
Romulus () was the legendary foundation of Rome, founder and King of Rome, first king of Ancient Rome, Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus ...
and commanded by Del Scharr. The 5th Ferrying Group was stationed at Love Field and was under the command of Florene Miller. The 6th Ferrying Group was stationed at Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
and commanded by Barbara Jane Erickson.
WFTD
Cochran returned from England and arrived in the US the day before the announcement of the WAFS. Cochran was angry that Love's proposal had been accepted, while her own had seemingly been ignored. The next day, Cochran flew to Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
and confronted General Arnold
Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...
about her earlier proposal. The WAFS had been formed while General Arnold was out on prolonged medical leave. On September 13, Arnold sent a memo to General George E. Stratemeyer
Lieutenant General George Edward Stratemeyer (24 November 1890 – 9 August 1969) was a senior commander in the United States Air Force. He held senior command appointments in the China Burma India Theater of World War II and was Far East Air For ...
that designated Cochran as the director of "Women's Flying Training." On September 15, 1942, Cochran's training proposal was also adopted, forming the 319th Women's Flying Training Detachment The Women's Flying Training Detachment was a group of women pilots during World War II. Their main job was to take over male pilot's jobs, such as ferrying planes from factories to United States Army Air Force installations, in order to free male pi ...
(WFTD). WFTD would be working with the Flight Training Command (FTC). WFTD was conceived of a program to train more women to ferry aircraft. On October 7, General Arnold proposed the goal of training 500 women pilots. By November 3, General Arnold was proposing a "maximum effort to train women pilots."
The Aviation Enterprises at Howard R. Hughes Field became the base of the WFTD. The first trainees recruited for WFTD, class 43-1, started on November 16, 1942. Cochran made Dedie Deaton her staff executive and in charge of finding housing for class 43-1- also known as the "Guinea Pigs". Women trained on old planes, many of which bore "visible and invisible scars".
WFTD pilots were issued large khaki coveralls (which the trainees called " zoot suits"), were ordered to wear any shoes they had, and a hairnet
A hairnet, or sometimes simply a net or caul, is a small, often elasticised, fine net worn over long hair to hold it in place. It is worn to keep hair contained. A snood is similar, but a looser fit, and with a much coarser mesh and noticeably t ...
on the flight line. The WFTD women were housed in various locations and had to find their own transportation to training. The first deaths occurred when Margaret Oldenburg and her instructor were practicing spins
The spins (as in having "the spins")Diane Marie Leiva. ''The Florida State University College of Education''Women's Voices on College Drinking: The First-Year College Experience"/ref> is an adverse reaction of intoxication that causes a state of v ...
on March 7, 1943. Oldenburg had put her plane, a PT-19
The Fairchild PT-19 (company designation Fairchild M62) is an American monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served with the United States Army Air Forces, RAF and RCAF during World War II. Designed by Fairchild Aircraft, it was a contemporar ...
open cockpit, into a spin that she could not recover from and the crash killed her and her instructor. Because the WFTD were civilians, there was no money to cover the funeral costs. Cochran paid for the expense out of her own pocket and Deaton escorted Oldenburg's body home. Another crash took place on March 21, 1943, when Cornelia Fort
Cornelia Clark Fort (February 5, 1919 – March 21, 1943) was a United States aviator who became famous for being part of two aviation-related events. The first occurred while conducting a civilian training flight at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1 ...
, a former flight instructor who had been the first to encounter Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
, was ferrying a BT-13
The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic (a category between primary and advanced) trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the B ...
with a group of male pilots. One of the pilots, while showing off, flew too close to Fort's plane and his landing gear
Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
collided with the wing of her plane, breaking part of it off. The plane went into a nose-dive, killing her.
Cochran pushed aggressively for a single entity to control the activity of all women pilots. Tunner, in particular, objected on the basis of differing qualification standards, and the absolute necessity of the ATC being able to control its own pilots. But Cochran's preeminence with Arnold prevailed, and in July 1943 he ordered the programs merged, with Cochran as director. The WAFS and the WFTD were combined to form the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Love continued with the program as executive in charge of WASP ferrying operations. The formal announcement combining WAFS and WFTD took place on August 20, 1943.
WASP adopted a patch in 1943 that featured the female gremlin Fifinella
Fifinella was a female gremlin designed by Walt Disney for a proposed film from Roald Dahl's book ''The Gremlins''. During World War II, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) asked permission to use the image as their official mascot, and th ...
. Fifinella was conceived by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
and drawn by Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
, and became the official WASP mascot.
Requirements and demographics
WASP adopted many of WAFS requirements, but added one other. Recruits still had to be between 21 and 35 years old, in good health, in possession of a pilot's license and 35 hours of flight time. Additionally, women were also required to be at least five feet and two inches tall. Over 25,000 women made application to join the WASP; 1,830 were accepted but only 1,074 completed the training. The applicants all had prior experience and airman certificates. Several WASPs had been trained previously in the Civilian Pilot Training Program
The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was a flight training program (1938–1944) sponsored by the United States government with the stated purpose of increasing the number of civilian pilots, though having a clear impact on military prepare ...
(CPTP).[ and ] Many of the women came from wealthy backgrounds that had afforded pilot training earlier in life, or had husbands who helped pay for their expensive training. All WASP recruits were interested in serving their country.
Although the majority of WASPs pilots were white, they were not exclusively so. Two Chinese Americans
Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from ...
, Hazel Ying Lee
Hazel Ying Lee (; August 24, 1912 – November 25, 1944) was an American pilot who flew for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II.
Early life
Lee was born in Portland, Oregon. Her parents were Yuet Lee and Ssiu Lan Wong, f ...
and Maggie Gee, two women of Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
descent, Verneda Rodriguez
Verneda G. Rodriguez McLean (January 11, 1918 – March 19, 1982) was an American aviator and served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. She is the first WASP to be buried with full military honors in Arlington Nationa ...
and Frances Dias
Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis (given name), Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "French ...
, and one known Native American woman, Ola Mildred Rexroat
Ola Mildred Rexroat (August 28, 1917 – June 28, 2017) was the only Native American woman to serve in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
Rexroat was born in Argonia, Kansas, to a Euro-American father and an Oglala mother. The family ...
completed the training. Rexroat was a member of the Oglala Sioux
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 ...
tribe from the Pine Ridge Indian 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 Gr ...
in South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
. While the total number of black women applicants for WASP training is unknown, several African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
pilots made it to the final interview stage, where they were all rejected. Mildred Hemmans Carter, another African American applicant, was asked to withdraw her application because of her race. In 1940, at age 19, Carter had earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree from the Tuskegee Institute
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature.
The campus was de ...
. The following year, she received her aviation certification. However, because of her sex, Carter was also rejected from flying with the Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...
. Seventy years later, she was recognized retroactively as a WASP, and Carter took her final flight at age 90. Another African American applicant, Janet Harmon Bragg, was told by Cochran in her interview that "it was difficult enough fighting prejudice aimed at females without additionally battling race discrimination."
WASP training
The WASP training spanned 18 groups of women. The first group was the Originals, who were the first group of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), led by Nancy Love
Nancy Harkness Love (February 14, 1914 – October 22, 1976), born Hannah Lincoln Harkness, was an American pilot and airplane commander during World War II. She earned her pilot's license at age 16. She worked as a test pilot and air racer in th ...
.
The second group was The Guinea Pigs which were Jacqueline Cochran's first class of women pilots for the Women's Flying Training Detachment The Women's Flying Training Detachment was a group of women pilots during World War II. Their main job was to take over male pilot's jobs, such as ferrying planes from factories to United States Army Air Force installations, in order to free male pi ...
(WFTD). The Guinea Pigs started training at the Houston Municipal Airport (now William P. Hobby Airport
William P. Hobby Airport (colloquially referred to as Hobby Airport, Houston Hobby, or simply Hobby) is an international airport in Houston, Texas, located from downtown Houston. Hobby is Houston's oldest commercial airport, and was its primar ...
) on November 16, 1942, as part of the 319th Army Air Force Women's Flying Training Detachment (AAFWFTD). This was just after the WAFS had started their orientation in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
. Unlike the WAFS, the women that reported to Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
did not have uniforms and had to find their own lodging. The "Woofteddies" (WFTD) also had minimal medical care, no life insurance, crash truck, or fire truck, and the ambulance was loaned from the Ellington Army Airfield, along with insufficient administrative staff, and a hodgepodge of aircraft—23 types—for training. As late as January 1943, when the third class was about to start their training, the three classes were described by Byrd Granger in ''On Final Approach'', as "a raggle-taggle crowd in a rainbow of rumpled clothing", while they gathered for morning and evening colors. There was also a lack of equipment, such as a Link trainer
The term Link Trainer, also known as the "Blue box" and "Pilot Trainer" is commonly used to refer to a series of flight simulators produced between the early 1930s and early 1950s by Link Aviation Devices, founded and headed by Ed Link
Edwin ...
, that was necessary for training.
The first Houston class started with 38 women with a minimum of 200 hours. Twenty-three graduated on April 24, 1943, at the only Houston WASP graduation at Ellington Army Air Field. The second Houston class, started in December 1942 with a minimum of 100 hours, but finished their training just in time to move to 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 become the first graduating class from Avenger Field on May 28, 1943. The third class completed their advanced training at Avenger Field and graduated July 3, 1943. Half of the fourth class of 76 women started their primary training in Houston on February 15, 1943, and then transferred to Sweetwater. Later in the summer of 1943, both the WAFS and WFTD were combined into the WASP. The first group to train as WASP started in Sweetwater in September 1943 and were designated as Class 44-W-2.
Each WASP had a pilot's license
Pilot licensing or certification refers to permits for operating aircraft. Flight crew licences are regulated by ICAO Annex 1 and issued by the civil aviation authority of each country. CAA’s have to establish that the holder has met a specifi ...
, but was retrained to fly the Army way by the U.S. Army Air Forces at Avenger Field
Avenger Field is a Texas airport in Nolan County, three miles west of Sweetwater. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 called it a ''general aviation'' facility.
Facilities
Avenger Field covers 896 acres (363 ...
in Sweetwater, Texas. More than 25,000 women applied for the WASP, but only 1,830 were accepted into the program. During the course of their training, it was reported that 552 women were released for lack of flying proficiency, 152 resigned, 27 were discharged for medical reasons, and 14 were dismissed for disciplinary reasons. After completing four months of military flight training, 1,074 of them earned their wings and became the first women to fly American military aircraft. While the WASP were not trained for combat, their course of instruction was essentially the same as male aviation cadets. They received no gunnery training and very little formation and aerobatic flying, but went through the maneuvers necessary to be able to recover from any position. The percentage of those eliminated compared favorably with the elimination rate for male cadets' in the Central Flying Training Command.
WASP recruits were required to complete the same primary, basic, and advanced training courses as male Army Air Corps pilots and many of them went on to specialized flight training. They spent around 12 hours a day at the airfield with half the day spent practicing actual flight and the other half studying. By graduation, WASP recruits had 560 hours of ground school and 210 hours of flight training. They knew Morse code, meteorology, military law, physics, aircraft mechanics, navigation and other subjects.
Duties
After their training, the WASP were stationed at 122 air bases across the U.S., where they assumed numerous flight-related missions, and relieved male pilots for combat duty. Ferrying planes from factory to airbases made up the first duties of the WASP. During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, women pilots flew 80 percent of all ferrying missions. They delivered over 12,000 aircraft. WASP freed around 900 male pilots for combat duty during World War II.
The original WAFS were organized specifically to ferry airplanes and free male pilots for combat roles. When a ferrying mission came in, the WASP would go to the factory, fly the plane in a test flight and then deliver the plane. Between September 1942 and December 1944, the WASP delivered 12,652 aircraft of 78 different types. In order to set an example, Nancy Love who was in charge of training, made sure she was trained and qualified on as many different types of planes as was possible.
They also towed targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice, simulated strafing missions, and transported cargo. The live-target practice was announced by Jackie Cochran on July 19, 1943, to 25 recent WASP graduates at Avenger Field. Cochran told the group that she had a "top secret assignment" and that any WASP could opt out if they wished: none did. This group would be sent to Camp Davis
Marine Corps Outlying Field (MCOLF) Camp Davis is a military use airport northeast of the central business district of Holly Ridge, in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. It is used as a training facility by the United States Marine ...
to tow flying shooting targets for men on the ground to practice shooting airborne targets. Many of the planes were shot during this training and several WASP were shot in the feet. Sometimes the planes were shot on purpose, when service men mistakenly believed they were supposed to shoot the plane, not the target the WASP was towing. One of the planes used during target towing, an A-24 that, like many had not been adequately maintained by the Army Air Corps (AAC), killed WASP Mabel Virginia Rawlinson. Rawlinson was practicing night flying with a trainer when her A-24 began to experience technical issues. The instructor asked her to return to the airfield, but on the final approach, Rawlinson's plane connected with the top of a pine tree and the plane nosed down and crashed. The instructor was thrown free, but Rawlinson was stuck in the front seat as the plane went up in flames, unable to open the plane's broken canopy lock. The investigation into the crash and her death found that the towing planes were not maintained properly and the AAC was using the wrong octane
Octane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula , and the condensed structural formula . Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain. One of these isomers, 2,2,4-Tri ...
fuel for the planes.
The women flew almost every type of aircraft flown by the USAAF during World War II. In addition, a few exceptionally qualified women were allowed to test rocket-propelled planes, to pilot jet-propelled planes, and to work with radar-controlled targets. When men were less willing to fly certain difficult planes, such as the YP-59 and B-29 Super Fortress
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...
, General Arnold recruited two WASPs to fly these aircraft. Arnold believed that if men saw women fly these planes successfully, they would be "embarrassed" into taking these missions willingly. Two WASPs, Dorthea Johnson and Dora Dougherty Strother
Dora Jean Dougherty Strother (also known as Dora Dougherty McKeown or Dora Strother McKeown; November 27, 1921 – November 19, 2013) was an American aviator best known as a Woman Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and B-29 Superfortress demonstrati ...
, were chosen to fly the B-29. They flew to Alamogordo
Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...
in the B-29s where there was a crowd waiting to see them land. General Arnold's plan worked, "From that day on, there was no more grumbling from male pilots assigned to train on and fly the B-29 Super Fortress." Women would also test-fly the planes that had been repaired.
When not flying, the pilots studied navigation
Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...
, radio communications and new flying skills.
Thirty-eight members lost their lives in accidents: eleven during training, and twenty-seven on missions. Because they were not considered part of the military by the guidelines, a fallen WASP was sent home at family expense. Traditional military honors or note of heroism, such as allowing the U.S. flag to be placed on the coffin or displaying a service flag
A service flag or service banner is a banner that family members of those serving in the United States Armed Forces can display. The flag or banner is officially defined as a white field with a red border, with a blue star for each family member s ...
in a window, were not allowed.
Request for military status
The WASP members were U.S. federal civil service employees, and did not qualify for military benefits. Each member paid for her own transportation costs to training sites, for her dress uniforms and room and board. Although attached to the U.S. Army Air Forces, the members could resign at any time after completion of their training. On September 30, 1943, the first of the WASP militarization bills was introduced in the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
by Representative John Costello. Both Cochran and Arnold desired a separate corps headed by a woman colonel (similar to the WAC, WAVES
Waves most often refers to:
*Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass.
* Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water.
Waves may also refer to:
Music
* Waves (ban ...
, SPARS
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Women's Reserve, also known as the SPARS (SPARS was the acronym for "Semper Paratus—Always Ready"), was the women's branch of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. It was established by the United States ...
, and the Marine Corps Women's Reserve
United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve (Reserve) was the World War II women's branch of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. It was authorized by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 30July 1942. ...
heads). The War Department, however, consistently opposed the move, because there was no separate corps for male pilots as distinguished from unrated AAF officers. In January 1944, Costello introduced a bill, HR 4219, to authorize women's commissions in the Army Air Forces. General Arnold felt that there was room for women and men to work as pilots in the Army Air Forces. He testified in front of the House military committee that the WASP were all "good fliers and that he plans to send all the male pilots to fight."
However, some in the media disagreed with General Arnold and began to write opinion pieces in some of the most important media of the day. ''TIME
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'', The ''New York Daily News
The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' and the ''Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' all urged women to step down and give the jobs back to men. A journalist, Drew Pearson, questioned the legality of funding the WASP program, and even accused General Arnold of being manipulated by Jackie Cochran's "feminine wiles" in a ''Washington Times Herald
The ''Washington Times-Herald'' (1939–1954) was an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It was created by Eleanor "Cissy" Patterson of the Medill–McCormick–Patterson family (long-time owners of the ''Chicago Tribune'' ...
'' column. The column caused male civilian pilots to increase their efforts to write letters against the program.
End of the WASP program
On June 21, 1944, the U.S. House bill to provide the WASP with military status, HR 4219, was narrowly defeated 188 against to 169 for. The civilian male pilots lobbied against the bill: reacting to closure of some civilian flight training schools, and the termination of two male pilot training commissioning programs. The House Committee on the Civil Service ( Ramspeck Committee) reported on June 5, 1944, that it considered the WASP unnecessary, unjustifiably expensive, and recommended that the recruiting and training of inexperienced women pilots be halted. The committee had found that the program had cost $50 million in government funds. Because of the cost, the program needed to request funding through legislation.
Cochran had been pushing for a resolution of the question: in effect, delivering an ultimatum to either commission the women or disband the program. The AAF had developed an excess of pilots and pilot candidates. As a result, Arnold (who had been a proponent of militarization) ordered that the WASP be disbanded by December 20, 1944. Arnold is quoted from a speech he delivered at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas on December 7, 1944:
On December 7, 1944, the final class of WASP pilots, 71 women in total, graduated from their training regardless of the plan to disband the WASP program within the following two weeks. Following the announcement approximately 20 WASP members offered to continue ferrying aircraft for the compensation of a year apiece but this offer was rejected. Before the WASP were disbanded, General Arnold ordered all commanding officers at bases where WASPs served, that the "women pilots be issued a certificate similar to an honorable discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...
."
Following the group's disbandment some WASP members were allowed to fly on board government aircraft from their former bases to the vicinity of their homes as long as room was available and no additional expenses were incurred. Others had to arrange and pay for their own transportation home. At the conclusion of the WASP program, 915 women pilots were on duty with the AAF: 620 assigned to the Training Command, 141 to the Air Transport Command, 133 to the numbered air forces in the continental United States, 11 to the Weather Wing, 9 to the technical commands and one to the Troop Carrier Command. The WASP members ferried fifty percent of the combat aircraft during the war to 126 bases across the United States. Because of the pioneering and the expertise they demonstrated in successfully flying military aircraft the WASP records showed that women pilots, when given the same training as men pilots, were as capable as men in non-combat flying.
During November 1944 WASP members at Maxwell Air Field founded the Order of Fifinella organization. The organization's initial goals were to help the former WASP members find employment and maintain contact between themselves. Through the years the Order of Fifinella issued newsletters, helped influence legislation and organized reunions. The group held its final meeting in 2008 and was disbanded in 2009.
Many WASPs wanted to continue flying after they were disbanded.[ and ] Commercial airlines turned women pilots away, "saying public opinion wouldn't stand for it." WASP Teresa James
Teresa D. "Jamesy" James and (January 27, 1914 – July 26, 2008) was an American Aircraft pilot, aviator. James was one of the first Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) pilots, starting out as part of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, Women's ...
wrote to congress requesting veteran's status. In order to keep flying, some women wrote Madame Chiang Kai-shek
Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo and ...
and volunteered for the Chinese Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF; ), also known as the Chinese Air Force (中国空军) or the People's Air Force (人民空军), is an Air force, aerial service branch of the People's Liberation Army, the regular army, regular ...
, who were still fighting against Japan.[ and ] The United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
offered commissions to former WASP in 1949, though all 121 who accepted the commissions were given support and administrative duties and did not fly.
Legacy
The records of the WASP program, like nearly all wartime files, were classified and sealed for 35 years making their contributions to the war effort little known and inaccessible to historians. However, there were unofficial historians, like WASP, Marty Wyall, who collected scrapbooks and newspaper clipping about what the WASP members had done and what they had gone on to do.[ and ] Wyall also suggested in 1964, at a Ninety-Nines
The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots, also known as The 99s, is an international organization that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. Foun ...
convention, that the remaining WASP members should meet up with one another every other year.
Early efforts to gain recognition for the WASP continued in the early 1970s. There was support from the office of Senator Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
, who had flown with WASP during WWII. Goldwater's efforts to get the WASP veteran's status was met with shocking prejudice in Congress. According to Goldwater's legislative assistant, Terry Emerson, "Women were treated as non-persons." In the House, Representative Patsy Mink
Patsy Matsu Mink (née Takemoto; December 6, 1927 – September 28, 2002) was an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Hawaii. Mink was a third-generation Japanese American, having been born and raised on the island of Maui. ...
introduced a bill on May 17, 1972, to give the WASP veterans status. Another representative in the House, Lindy Boggs
Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs (March 13, 1916 – July 27, 2013) was a politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and later as United States Ambassador to the Holy See. She was the first woman elected to Cong ...
, introduced a bill around 1977 to give the WASP military status.
In 1975 under the leadership of Col. Bruce Arnold, the son of General Hap Arnold, along with the surviving WASP members organized as a group again and began what they called the "Battle of Congress". Their goal was to gain public support and have the WASP officially recognized as veterans of World War II. In 1976, there was a bill in the Senate Veteran's Affairs Committee to give the WASPs military status. The bill would allow WASP pilots to use veteran's services. In 1977, WASP records were unsealed after an Air Force press release erroneously stated the Air Force was training the first women to fly military aircraft for the U.S. Documents were compiled that showed during their service WASP members were subject to military discipline, assigned top secret missions and many members were awarded service ribbons after their units were disbanded. It was also shown that WASP member Helen Porter had been issued an Honorable Discharge certificate by her commanding officer following her service. This time, the WASPs lobbied Congress with the important support of Goldwater, who himself had been a World War II ferry pilot in the 27th Ferrying Squadron. During hearings on the legislation opposition to the WASP members being given military recognition was voiced by the Veterans Administration
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers and ...
(VA), the American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
and the Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or a ...
(VFW). The VA, led by Dorothy L. Starbuck, argued that WASP should not be given military recognition because the women were never subject to court martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
. The VFW felt that giving WASP military recognition would "destroy the special status of veterans and do irreparable damage to veterans benefits."
President Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
signed legislation, P.L.95–202, Section 401, The G.I. Bill Improvement Act of 1977, providing that service as a WASP would be considered "active duty" for the purposes of programs administered by the Veterans Administration. Honorable Discharge certificates were issued to the former WASP members in 1979. In 1984, each WASP was awarded the World War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945.
The Wor ...
. Those who served for more than one year were also awarded American Theater Ribbon/American Campaign Medal
The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...
for their service during the war. Many of the medals were accepted by the recipients' sons and daughters on their behalf.
The 1977 legislation, either despite or because of its language, did not expressly allow WASPs to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
. That was because Arlington National Cemetery, unlike most other national cemeteries, is administered by the Department of the Army, not the Department of Veterans Affairs, and thus the Secretary of the Army
The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...
determines eligibility for Arlington burial. The reason for the position taken by the Army on this issue may have been the rapidly diminishing space at Arlington. But in 2002, the Army re-considered and decided that deceased WASPs were able to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In 2015, however, the Army re-interpreted the law and its own regulations against the backdrop of thirteen years of war, which once again threatened to deplete the cemetery of land. The Army ruled that the 1977 statute did not mandate the burial of deceased WASPs at Arlington. When WASP, Elaine Harmon
Elaine D. Harmon (December 26, 1919 – April 21, 2015) was an American from Maryland who served in the U.S. Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. In 2009 she received a Congressional Gold Medal for her service as a pilot duri ...
, died on April 21, 2015, her request to have her ashes interred at Arlington was denied. Another WASP, Florence Shutsy-Reynolds
Florence Shutsy-Reynolds (1923 – March 15, 2018) was an American aviator. She served with the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Later, she worked as a designer for the WASP organization store, creating jewellery and de ...
, began a social media campaign to advocate for Harmon and other WASP members who wished to be interred at Arlington. Legislation in 2016 seemingly overruled the Army's interpretation and it was widely reported that WASPs could "again" be buried at Arlington. The 2016 law revived the long-held concern about limited space at the cemetery. Thus, the legislation in the 114th Congress
The 114th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States of America federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from Ja ...
(S.2437 by Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Barbara Ann Mikulski ( ; born July 20, 1936) is an American politician and social worker who served as a United States senator from Maryland from 1987 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she also served in the United States House of Repr ...
(D-Maryland) and H.R. 4336 by Rep. Martha McSally
Martha Elizabeth McSally (born March 22, 1966) is an American politician and former military pilot who served as a United States senator for Arizona from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the U.S. representative for ...
(R-Arizona), a retired Air Force fighter pilot), provides only for interment of cremated remains and not ground burial.
In 2002 WASP member Deanie Bishop Parrish
Marie Odean Bishop Parrish (February 25, 1922 – February 24, 2022), known as Deanie Parrish (sometimes spelt as Parish) was a US air force pilot who served as a Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP pilot during WWII. She was known for being one ...
with her daughter began plans for a museum dedicated to telling the WASPs story. The hangar building used for the museum, Hangar One, was originally built in 1929 and was part of the Sweetwater Municipal Airport facilities which became Avenger Field. In 2005 the National WASP WWII Museum's grand opening was planned for May 28, 2005, which was the 62 anniversary of the first WASP graduating class. Along with the displays of uniforms, vehicles and other artifacts are several aircraft. These include a Boeing-Stearman Model 75
The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known ...
biplane, a Fairchild PT-19
The Fairchild PT-19 (company designation Fairchild M62) is an American monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served with the United States Army Air Forces, RAF and RCAF during World War II. Designed by Fairchild Aircraft, it was a contempora ...
trainer, a UC-78 Bamboo Bomber and a Vultee BT-13 Valiant
The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic (a category between primary and advanced) trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the ...
trainer that was donated in September 2017.
In 2009, the WASPs were inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame
The International Air & Space Hall of Fame is an honor roll of people, groups, organizations, or things that have contributed significantly to the advancement of aerospace flight and technology, sponsored by the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Sin ...
at the San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM, formerly the San Diego Aerospace Museum) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California, United States. The museum is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, ...
.
On July 1, 2009, President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and the United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
awarded the WASP the Congressional Gold Medal
The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...
. Three of the roughly 300 surviving WASPs were on hand to witness the event. During the ceremony President Obama said, "The Women Airforce Service Pilots courageously answered their country's call in a time of need while blazing a trail for the brave women who have given and continue to give so much in service to this nation since. Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve." On March 10, 2010, the 300 surviving WASPs came to the US Capitol to accept the Congressional Gold Medal from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
and other Congressional leaders. On New Year's Day in 2014 the Rose Parade
The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if N ...
featured a float with eight WASP members riding on it. It was designed by sculptor Don Everhart II. The medal is on display at the Boeing Aviation Hangar
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, also called the Udvar-Hazy Center, is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia. It holds numerous e ...
in Chantilly, Virginia.
Other aspects of the WASP legacy include the designs and symbols of the WASP organization. Shutsy-Reynolds took over WASP merchandising in 1988 and designed the scarf
A scarf, plural ''scarves'', is a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or used to show the support for a sports club or team. They can be made in a variety of diff ...
that many WASP members wore. She also created unique jewelry based on the WASP wings symbols.
The WASP actively inspired successive generations of women, including aviator Jerrie Cobb
Geraldyn M. Cobb (March 5, 1931 – March 18, 2019), commonly known as Jerrie Cobb, was an American aviator. She was also part of the Mercury 13, a group of women who underwent physiological screening tests at the same time as the original Merc ...
, Desert Storm
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
pilot Kelly Hamilton, astronaut Eileen Collins
Eileen Marie Collins (born 19 November 1956) is a retired NASA astronaut and United States Air Force (USAF) colonel. A former flight instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a ...
, Navy pilot Rosemary Mariner, and Terry London Rinehart
Terry London Rinehart is an American airline pilot. When she was hired by Western Airlines in 1976, she was the first woman pilot to fly for them and one of 10 women working as airline pilots in the United States.
Biography
Rinehart grew up in ...
, who was one of the first 10 women to be hired as a commercial airline
An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in which ...
pilot in 1976. Colonel Kimberly Olsen
Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to:
Places and historical events
Australia
* Kimberley (Western Australia)
** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley
* Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania
* Kimberley, Tasmania a small town
* County of Kimberley, a c ...
"credited the WASP for her opportunity to serve her country."
Discrimination
WASP members faced discrimination because of their sex during their work numerous times. Some male pilots and commanders were unhappy to have a women's presence in the traditionally male setting of the military. One WASP, Lorraine Rodgers, later recalled that some men "refused to acknowledge their ability," or that the men didn't trust the smaller women to be able to handle the planes. Some commanders would give out "undesirable" planes to the WASP to fly. One commander at Love Field was eventually formally admonished for treating the women unfairly. WASP Teresa James
Teresa D. "Jamesy" James and (January 27, 1914 – July 26, 2008) was an American Aircraft pilot, aviator. James was one of the first Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) pilots, starting out as part of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, Women's ...
believed that the women pilots were disliked because they "flew longer than the men (service pilots). We flew our tails off." However, James also reported that she was sometimes "treated like a celebrity" when she stopped at Army bases for refueling. She said, "They had never seen a woman pilot in an Air Force airplane."[ and ]
Camp Davis at North Carolina had the most prejudice and discrimination against the WASP. The base commander, Major Stephenson, told the women that "both they and the planes were expendable." Women at Camp Davis were unfairly evaluated in their flying, according to WASP Alia Corbett. Women were not given practice time, unlike the men. Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
was suspected in some incidents at the camp and Cochran found traces of sugar in the engine at one WASP crash site. Two WASP women died in the line of duty at Camp Davis. There were fourteen accidents involving improperly maintained towing planes at Camp Davis and planes at Camp Davis were found to be using the wrong octane fuel.
While the women were doing the same job as men who were also civilian ferry pilots, the WASP were paid at two-thirds the rate of their male counterparts.
The initial force of the Women's Army Ferrying Service (WAFS) put the cap on the age of recruits at 35 in order "to avoid the irrationality of women when they enter and go through menopause
Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children. Menopause usually occurs between the age of 47 and 54. Medical professionals often d ...
." At the time, the military had determined that age 40 was the time when menopause began, so if the war lasted more than 5 years, most recruits would just be entering the time of "debilitating irrationality." The WASP were even grounded for a time during their menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that make pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eggs a ...
s by male commanders because they believed they were "less efficient during menses." This was stopped when flight records showed that this thinking was false. Some WASP were allowed to choose not to fly during menstruation and the pilots' periods were seen as a form of medical disability by military doctors.
On the military planes, there weren't facilities for the women to use the bathroom. When women were ferrying the planes, they had to touch down occasionally and women were not allowed to eat in some restaurants because they were wearing pants.
Notable WASP aviators
* Betty Tackaberry Blake
Betty Tackaberry "Tack" Blake (October 29, 1920 – April 9, 2015) was the last surviving member of the first training class (Class 43-W-1 at Sweetwater, Texas, on April 24, 1943) of the Women Airforce Service Pilots paramilitary aviation service. ...
(1920–2015), the last surviving member of the first WASP training group (Class 43-W-1 at Sweetwater, Texas, graduated April 24, 1943),
*Jean Landis (1918–2022), squad commander.
*Doris Bristol (1920–2010), class of 43-W-5
* Mary S. Reineberg Burchard (1916–2012), class of 44-W-6.
* Ann Baumgartner Carl
* Pearl Laska Chamberlain – First woman to solo a single-engine airplane up the Alaska Highway in 1946.
* Elizabeth "Betty" Maxine Chambers
* Jacqueline Cochran
Jacqueline Cochran (May 11, 1906 – August 9, 1980) was an American pilot and business executive. She pioneered women's aviation as one of the most prominent racing pilots of her generation. She set numerous records and was the first woman to br ...
– Director of the WASP. In 1938, Cochran became famous nationwide for winning the Bendix Transcontinental Race
* Gwendolyne Cowart
* Violet Cowden
Violet Cowden (October 1, 1916 – April 10, 2011) was an American aviator who served as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Cowden was one of the surviving members of the 1,074 WASPs, who were the first wo ...
* Rosa Charlyne Creger
Rosa Charlene Creger (December 24, 1918 – January 1, 2005) was a WASP pilot during World War II, and became the Chief of the Anesthesia Department at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana after the war.
Early life
Creger was born on ...
* Nancy Batson Crews
* Selma Cronan
* Nancye Ruth Lowe Crout, (Class 43-W-4), died January 21, 2016.
* Iris Cummings
Iris Cummings (born December 21, 1920), also known by her married name Iris Critchell, is an American aviator and former competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. After an active athl ...
* Jeanne P. d'Ambly – member of the 43-W-5 class
* Mildred Inks Davidson Dalrymple (Class 44-W-4)
* Dorothy Hilliard Davis
Dorothy Hilliard Davis (1917May 25, 1994), was an American pilot, a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots and instrumental in gaining recognition for the WASPs as military veterans.
Biography
Dorothy "Dottie" Hilliard Davis was born to ...
, campaigned to get women pilots recognition as military veterans.
* Cornelia Fort
Cornelia Clark Fort (February 5, 1919 – March 21, 1943) was a United States aviator who became famous for being part of two aviation-related events. The first occurred while conducting a civilian training flight at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1 ...
– One of the original WAFS. Fort's experience included evading attacking IJNAS
The was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
The Japanese military acquired their first aircraft in 1910 a ...
carrier planes at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She became the first WAFS fatality in a midair collision while flying a BT-13 near Merkel, Texas
Merkel is a city in Taylor County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,590 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Abilene metropolitan area.
Geography
Merkel is located 17 miles west of Abilene near Interstate Highway 20. The town has a to ...
on March 23, 1943.
* Elizabeth L. Gardner of Rockford, Illinois
* Maggie Gee – One of only two Asian-Americans (Chinese) in the WASP, the other being Hazel Ying Lee.
* Betty Gillies
Betty Gillies (January 7, 1908 – October 14, 1998) was an American aviator, and the first pilot to qualify for the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron
The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Aux ...
* Ann Warren Griffith, writer, wrote about her WASP experiences in ''The New Yorker''
* Betty Haas Pfister
Elizabeth Haas Pfister (July 23, 1921 – November 17, 2011) was an American aviator.
Biography
Haas Pfister was born Elizabeth Haas in Great Neck, New York, the second of three children of Merle (née Simon) and Robert Kalman Haas Sr. (son ...
* Lois Hailey
* Elaine D. Harmon, first WASP aviator interred at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
* Sara Payne Hayden
Sara Payne Hayden (August 29, 1919 – March 15, 2019) was one of the women who joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. She was the Veterans Affairs chairwoman of the group as of 2006. Hayden died in Plano, Texas
Tex ...
* Bernice Falk Haydu
* Gloria Heath
* Jean Hixson
Jean Hixson (September 30, 1922 – September 21, 1984) was an American aviator, a Women Airforce Service Pilot and part of the Mercury 13. She was also the second woman to exceed Mach One.
Early life
Jean Hixson was born in Hoopeston, Illinoi ...
* Marion Stegeman Hodgson wrote a detailed account of her time as a WASP in her autobiography ''Winning My Wings: A Woman Airforce Service Pilot in World War II''.
* Carla Horowitz
Carla is the feminized version of Carl, Carlos or Charles, from ''ceorl'' in Old English, which means "free man". Notable people with the name include:
* Carla, French singer and former member of the children's music group Kids United
* Carla Abe ...
* Evelyn Greenblatt Howren
* Celia Hunter
Celia Hunter (January 13, 1919 – December 1, 2001) was an American environmentalist and conservationist. She was conferred the highest award by the Sierra Club, The John Muir Award, in 1991. She was presented the highest award by the Wilde ...
* Marge Hurlburt
Marge Hurlburt (December 30, 1914 – July 4, 1947) was an American aviator who flew with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II and set a women's international air speed record in 1947.
Biography
Margaret M. "Marge" Hurlb ...
– She was named to the Board of Directors of the Professional Race Pilots Association to represent the interests of female pilots and held the woman's international airspeed record at the time her death in July 1947. Marge died while performing as part of a flying circus
Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in t ...
that she joined to raise money to build a new racing airplane.
* Janet Hutchinson – of the Flying Hutchinsons
Flying may refer to:
* Flight, the process of flying
* Aviation, the creation and operation of aircraft
Music
Albums
* Flying (Grammatrain album), ''Flying'' (Grammatrain album), 1997
* Flying (Jonathan Fagerlund album), ''Flying'' (Jonathan ...
, joined at age 18.
* Teresa James
Teresa D. "Jamesy" James and (January 27, 1914 – July 26, 2008) was an American Aircraft pilot, aviator. James was one of the first Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) pilots, starting out as part of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, Women's ...
* Marguerite "Ty" Hughes Killen
* Hazel Ying Lee
Hazel Ying Lee (; August 24, 1912 – November 25, 1944) was an American pilot who flew for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II.
Early life
Lee was born in Portland, Oregon. Her parents were Yuet Lee and Ssiu Lan Wong, f ...
– One of two Asian-Americans (Chinese) in the WASP, the other being Maggie Gee. Lee was the last WASP member to die while serving in program.
* Dorothy Swain Lewis
Dorothy Swain Lewis (September 30, 1915 – September 9, 2013) was an American aviator who trained Navy pilots and flew with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program during World War II. She was also an artist who created a series of cast ...
– Worked at Piper Aircraft
Piper Aircraft, Inc. is a manufacturer of general aviation aircraft, located at the Vero Beach Regional Airport in Vero Beach, Florida, United States and owned since 2009 by the Government of Brunei. Throughout much of the mid-to-late 20th centur ...
Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, Graduate of Phoebe Omlie
Phoebe Jane Fairgrave Omlie (November 21, 1902 – July 17, 1975) was an American aviation pioneer, particularly noted for her accomplishments as an early female aviator. Omlie was the first woman to receive an airplane mechanic's license, the ...
's Tennessee Bureau of Aeronautics Women Aviation Instructor Program in Nashville TN (Feb 1943), Instructed Navy pilots V-5 program classes 43F, W3G, W3H, Instructed WASP classes 43-W8,44-W2,44-W4, joined WASP in class 44-W7&5, towed targets in B-26, engineering flights various other aircraft, sculpted WASP trainee statue on United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...
Honor Court, Colorado Springs, painted official portrait of Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general. She held the position from 1993 to 2001, making her the second-longest serving attorney general, behind only Wi ...
for US Department of Justice
* Doris Lockness
Doris Lockness (February 2, 1910 – January 30, 2017) was a pioneering American aviator.
Biography
Lockness was born in Pennsylvania in 1910 and began flying in 1939 and worked as a liaison engineer at Douglas Aircraft Company.
She left in 1 ...
* Barbara Erickson London – The only WASP member to be awarded the Air Medal
The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.
Criteria
The Air Medal was establish ...
during World War II. Following the war, medals were awarded to other WASP members.
* Grace Elizabeth "Betty" Ashwell Lotowycz 44-W-7
* Nancy Love
Nancy Harkness Love (February 14, 1914 – October 22, 1976), born Hannah Lincoln Harkness, was an American pilot and airplane commander during World War II. She earned her pilot's license at age 16. She worked as a test pilot and air racer in th ...
* Iola "Nancy" Clay Magruder A member of class 44-W-7, her orders sent her to Enid, Oklahoma where she flew BT-13, BT-15, AT-6, PT-17, and B-18.
*Madge Moore
Madge Leon Moore (January 22, 1922 – December 22, 2016) was an American aviator. She served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Moore ferried planes during the war and after the dissolution of WASP, lived as a home ...
* Annabelle Craft Moss – Moss flew the AT-6 Trainer, and was responsible for transporting officers from base to base.
* Anne Noggle
Anne Noggle (1922 – August 16, 2005) was an American aviator, photographer, curator and professor. After receiving her pilot's license as a teenager, she enrolled as a WASP pilot during World War II, flying missions in 1943 and 1944. Follow ...
– Following the war she became a noted photographer and writer. She took the photos for ''For God, Country and the Thrill of It: Women Airforce Pilots of World War II'', with an introduction by Dora Dougherty Strother
Dora Jean Dougherty Strother (also known as Dora Dougherty McKeown or Dora Strother McKeown; November 27, 1921 – November 19, 2013) was an American aviator best known as a Woman Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and B-29 Superfortress demonstrati ...
.
* Dorothy Olsen
* Lorrie Otto
Lorrie Otto (September 9, 1919 – May 29, 2010) was an American speaker and author. As an environmentalist, she was an ardent supporter of the protection of biological diversity. She helped to bring about the DDT ban in the United States and h ...
* Deanie Bishop Parrish
Marie Odean Bishop Parrish (February 25, 1922 – February 24, 2022), known as Deanie Parrish (sometimes spelt as Parish) was a US air force pilot who served as a Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP pilot during WWII. She was known for being one ...
* Suzanne Upjohn DeLano Parish, co-founder of Kalamazoo Air Museum, later called the Air Zoo
The Air Zoo, founded as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, is an aviation museum and indoor amusement park next to the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport in Portage, Michigan. The Air Zoo holds many historical and rare aircraft, inc ...
.
* Vilma Lazar Qualls
Vilma is a feminine first name. People named Vilma include:
*Vilma Abrahamsson (born 1999), Swedish football player
*Vilma Bánky (1901–1991), Hungarian silent film actress
*Vilma Bardauskienė (born 1953), Lithuanian long jumper
*Vilma Beck ...
(May 5, 1917 – November 2, 2003) A member of class 43-W-3, she was assigned to Long Beach Army Airbase after training. She flew BT-13, C-47, B-17 and B-24.
* Hazel Jane Raines
Hazel Jane Raines (April 21, 1916 – September 4, 1956) was an American pioneer aviator and flight instructor with the Civilian Pilot Training Program. During World War II, she was part of the first group of United States women to fly military a ...
* Mabel Rawlinson
* Katherine Rawls
Katherine Louise Rawls (June 14, 1917 – April 8, 1982), also known by her married names Katherine Thompson and Katherine Green, was an American competition swimmer and diver. She was the United States national champion in multiple events duri ...
* Ola Mildred Rexroat
Ola Mildred Rexroat (August 28, 1917 – June 28, 2017) was the only Native American woman to serve in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
Rexroat was born in Argonia, Kansas, to a Euro-American father and an Oglala mother. The family ...
, An Oglala Sioux
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 ...
from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, was the only Native American woman in the WASP.
* Mary Anne Richey
Mary Anne Richey (October 24, 1917 – November 25, 1983) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
Education and career
Born Mary Anne Reimann in Shelbyville, Indiana, Richey was in t ...
* Margaret Ringenberg
* Lorraine Rodgers
* Dawn Seymour
Dawn Seymour (July 1, 1917 - July 18, 2017) was a Women Airforce Service Pilot during World War II. She would later lobby for military status for the Women Airforce Service Pilots as well as encourage recognition of their contributions to the war ...
* Evelyn Sharp – In 1938, Evelyn Sharp was the youngest person in the United States to receive a commercial pilot license.
* Florence Shutsy-Reynolds
Florence Shutsy-Reynolds (1923 – March 15, 2018) was an American aviator. She served with the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Later, she worked as a designer for the WASP organization store, creating jewellery and de ...
(1923-2018) – earned her pilot's license in 1941, just before women were barred from the government-operated training program at local airports due to the expected need of more male pilots. Following the death of her husband around 1988, she took over the WASP organization's "Stores" job, making and selling intricate silver and bronze jewelry, banners, scarves and other WASP-themed items.
* Gertrude Tompkins Silver – The only WASP member to go missing during World War II. She departed from Mines Field (currently LAX) for Palm Springs, on October 26, 1944, flying a P-51D Mustang destined for New Jersey but never arrived. In January 2010 search efforts to locate the possible crash site in Santa Monica Bay
Santa Monica Bay is a bight (geography), bight of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn betwe ...
were unsuccessful.
* Shirley Slade, born in Chicago 1921. On the cover of Life (magazine)
''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...
, July 19, 1943. Trained to fly Bell P-39 Airacobras and Martin B-26 Marauders at three bases: Dodge City AAF, Kansas, Harlingen AAF, Texas, and Love Field, Dallas.
* Helen Wyatt Snapp
* Jane Straughan
Jane Sincell Straughan (August 24, 1913 – March 12, 2007) was an American aviator known for her contribution as a Women Airforce Service Pilot from 1942 to 1944. She remained active in aviation throughout her life, serving on the Civil Aerona ...
, graduate of class 43-W-1.
* Elizabeth Strohfus – flew B-26 Widowmakers and pulled 6 G's in an F-16 at age 72. She died at 96 on March 6, 2016, in Faribault, MN.
* Dora Dougherty Strother
Dora Jean Dougherty Strother (also known as Dora Dougherty McKeown or Dora Strother McKeown; November 27, 1921 – November 19, 2013) was an American aviator best known as a Woman Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and B-29 Superfortress demonstrati ...
* Mildred Darlene "Micky" Tuttle Axton
* Mary Coon Walters
Mary Coon Walters (January 29, 1922 – April 4, 2001) was the first female New Mexico Supreme Court justice, the first woman in New Mexico to be a district judge, and the first president of the National Women's Political Caucus, New Mexico Women' ...
* Florene Miller Watson
Florene Miller Watson (December 7, 1920 – February 4, 2014) was an American aviator and educator from Texas. Watson was one of the first Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) volunteers. She went on to fly for the Women Air Force Service Pi ...
—one of the first WAFS volunteers.
* Betty Jane Williams
Betty Jane Williams (1919 – December 8, 2008) was an American aviator. She worked in various fields in the aviation industry throughout her life and became a Lieutenant Colonel by the time she retired from the United States Airforce Reserves in ...
—went on to become a Lt Colonel in her later military career.
* Mary E. Williamson
Mary E. (Ellen) Williamson (April 24, 1924 – December 3, 2012) was an American aviator who served as a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) during World War II. She was also a Communication studies, communications professor at the University ...
(1924–2012)
* Ginny Wood
Virginia Hill Wood (October 24, 1917 – March 8, 2013) was an American environmental activist and a pioneer in the Alaskan conservation movement. Ginny Wood co-founded the Alaska Conservation Society in 1960 with her then husband, Morton "Woody" W ...
* Marty Wyall - was part of the last class of WASP in 1944. She later became the WASP historian.
Documentaries and fictional depictions
* In the 1943 movie ''A Guy Named Joe
''A Guy Named Joe'' is a 1943 American romantic fantasy drama film directed by Victor Fleming. The film was produced by Everett Riskin, and starred Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, and Van Johnson. The screenplay, written by Dalton Trumbo and Freder ...
'', Pete Sandidge (Spencer Tracy) is the reckless pilot of a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber flying out of England during World War II. He is in love with Women Airforce Service Pilot Dorinda Durston (Irene Dunne), a civilian pilot ferrying aircraft across the Atlantic.
* ''Ladies Courageous
''Ladies Courageous'' (also called ''Fury in the Sky'' in a 1950 Realart re-release) is a 1944 war film based on the novel ''Looking For Trouble'' (1941) by Virginia Spencer Cowles. Directed by John Rawlins, the film stars Loretta Young and Gera ...
'' is a 1944 film starring Loretta Young
Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...
.
* Season 1, Episode 22 of ''Baa Baa Black Sheep'' was entitled "W*A*S*P*S". It first aired on March 1, 1977. The episode has several errors of fact. Two are that there is no "s" at the end of the name, because the name itself is plural, and the WASP never flew overseas.
* In the modern ''Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
'' continuity, Steve Trevor
General Steven Rockwell Trevor is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Wonder Woman. The character was created by William Moulton Marston and first appeared in ' ...
's mother, Diana Trevor, was a WASP who inadvertently crash-landed on Themyscira on a mission in the 1940s and died helping the Amazons fight an attacking menace.
* A documentary produced by Ken Magid, ''Women of Courage'', was shown on PBS in 1993.
* A 2009 episode of the TV show ''Cold Case
A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...
'' features the investigators looking for the murderer of a WASP, after her plane is found in modern-day Philadelphia.
* In the 2012 '' Captain Marvel'' story from Marvel comics, Carol Danvers
Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, Danvers first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of the ...
travels through time to 1943 where she fights alongside a squad of Women Airforce Service Pilots on an island off the coast of Peru.
* Season 3, Episode 15 of ''Army Wives
''Army Wives'' is an American drama television series that followed the lives of four army wives, one army husband, and their families. The series premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007, and ran for seven seasons, ending on June 9, 2013. The sh ...
'' is a flashback episode that mentions the WASP pilots from WWII.
* Meredith Dayna Levy wrote a play called ''Decision Height'' which tells the story of six WASP trainees.
* The Hugo
Hugo or HUGO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese
* Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback
* Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...
and Nebula award
The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...
winning 2018 science fiction novel ''The Calculating Stars
''The Calculating Stars'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Mary Robinette Kowal. The book was published by Tor Books on July 3, 2018. It is the first book in the " Lady Astronaut" series and is a prequel to the 2012 short story " Th ...
'' by Mary Robinette Kowal
Mary Robinette Kowal (; born February 8, 1969) is an American author and puppeteer. Originally a puppeteer by primary trade after receiving a bachelor's degree in art education, she became art director for science fiction magazines and by 2010 was ...
depicts an alternative history
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, alter ...
of the 1950s space race
The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the tw ...
where former WASP pilots become the first female astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
s.
* Fannie Flagg
Fannie Flagg (born Patricia Neal; September 21, 1944) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is best known as a semi-regular panelist on the 1973–1982 versions of the game show ''Match Game'' and for the 1987 novel ''Fried Green Toma ...
's 2013 book,''The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion'' features three sisters who fly with WASP.
*Flight Officer Maude Garrett, the main character of the 2020 movie ''Shadow in the Cloud
''Shadow in the Cloud'' is a 2020 action horror film directed by Roseanne Liang, from a screenplay by Liang and Max Landis, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Beulah Koale , Taylor John Smith, Callan Mulvey and Nick Robinson. It follows a female flig ...
'', is a WASP. The end credits of the movie feature pictures of the Women Air Service Pilots.
* ''Angel Wings'', a French graphic-novel series, is about Angela McCloud, a (fictional) WASP who -- unlike the WASP pilots in real life -- flies transport missions in Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
and then the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
as cover for secret duties as an agent with the wartime intelligence service, the OSS
OSS or Oss may refer to:
Places
* Oss, a city and municipality in the Netherlands
* Osh Airport, IATA code OSS
People with the name
* Oss (surname), a surname
Arts and entertainment
* ''O.S.S.'' (film), a 1946 World War II spy film about ...
.
See also
* Betsy Ross Air Corps
* Night Witches
"Night Witches" (german: die Nachthexen; russian: Ночные ведьмы, ) was a World War II German nickname for the all-female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known later as the 46th "Taman" Guards Night Bomber Aviat ...
(588th Night Bomber Regiment – Soviet)
* Air Transport Auxiliary
The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factori ...
(ATA – British)
* Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division
The Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division was a non-combatant element of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) which was active during the Second World War. The Women's Division's original role was to replace male air force personnel so that th ...
(RCAFWD)
* Women Airforce Service Pilots Badge {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009
The Women Airforce Service Pilots Badge is an award of the United States Army that was issued during the Second World War. The badge created for the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP (not WASPs, because th ...
* Women in the Air Force (WAF)
Women in the Air Force (WAF) was a program which served to bring women into limited roles in the United States Air Force. WAF was formed in 1948 when Harry S. Truman, President Truman signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, allowing wo ...
* Women's Army Corps
The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an Auxiliaries, auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942 and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the U ...
(WAC)
* Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service
Waves most often refers to:
*Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass.
*Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water.
Waves may also refer to:
Music
* Waves (band ...
(WAVES) The US Navy's WWII era program.
* Women's Auxiliary Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as WAAFs (), was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Established in 1939, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000 at its peak strength in 1943, with over 2 ...
(WAAF – British)
* Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve, as well as by the Chief of the Air Staff, who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service ov ...
(WAAAF)
* Women in aviation
Women have been involved in aviation from the beginnings of both lighter-than air travel and as airplanes, helicopters and space travel were developed. Women pilots were also
formerly called "aviatrices" (singular "aviatrix"). Women have been fl ...
* Timeline of women in aviation
This is a timeline of women in aviation which describes many of the firsts and achievements of women as pilots and other roles in aviation. Women who are part of this list have piloted vehicles, including hot-air balloons, gliders, airplanes ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
* Clark, Marie Mountain. ''Dear Mother and Daddy: World War II Letters Home from a WASP''. Livonia Michigan: First Page Publications, 2005. .
* .
*
* .
* .
* Haynsworth, Leslie and David Toomey. ''Amelia Earhart's Daughters''. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1998. .
* Keil, Sally Van Wagenen, ''Those Wonderful Women in Their Flying Machines: The Unknown Heroines of World War II''. New York: Four Directions Press, 1990. .
* Landdeck, Katherine Sharp, "The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II".: Crown, 2020. .
* LoPinto, Winnie, ''I was a Woman Pilot in 1945''. Sheffield, UK: Green Leaf Publishing, 2001.
*
*
* Noggle, Anne. ''For God, Country and the Thrill of It: Women Airforce Service Pilots During WWII.'' College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. 1990. .
* Parrish, Nancy
''WASP In Their Own Words – An Illustrated History of the Women Airforce Service Pilots.''
Waco, Texas: Wings Across America Publications, 2010. .
* Rickman, Sarah Byrn. ''Nancy Batson Crews: Alabama's First Lady of Flight''. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 2009. .
* .
* .
*
* Schrader, Helena. ''Sisters in Arms: British and American Women Pilots During World War II''. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen and Sword Books, 2006. .
* Simbeck, Rob. ''Daughter of the Air: The Brief Soaring Life of Cornelia Fort.'' New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. 1999. .
*
* Strebe, Amy Goodpaster. ''Flying for her Country: The American and Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II.'' Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books. 2009. .
* Williams, Vera S. ''WASPs: Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1994. .
External links
WASP in their Own Words, An Illustrated History of the WASP of WWII
Betty H. Carter Oral History - UNCG Women Veterans Historical Project: Air Force (incl WAF, WASP, Nurse Corps)
Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) Remembered by those who knew them
Wings Across America
a WASP digital history project
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library's archives
nbsp;– information and documentation about Jacqueline Cochran and the WASP.
WASP on the WEB
over 2,000 pages of WASP photos, games, videos, records and resources
Blitzkrieg Baby
nbsp;– Information on World War II U.S. women's service organizations, including uniforms.
* ttps://archive.org/details/SixthFerryingGroupYearbookLongBeach 1944 yearbook of the Sixth Ferrying Group of the USAF, based in Long Beach, California.
Winged Auxiliaries: Women Pilots in the UK and US during World War Two
nbsp;– Draws comparisons between British ATA and American WASP pilots in World War II.
PBS American Experience: Fly Girls
WASP documentary.
Army-Navy Screen Magazine #16 WASP (1943) Government produced newsreel film
Women in the U.S. Army
The National WASP World War II Museum
Homepage
WASP in the Spotlight
Upcoming Events
Texas Woman's University: Women Airforce Service Pilots Official Archive
TWU WASP Homepage
WASP Digital Archives
Classbooks
Oral Histories
Photographs
Smithsonian Institution: Online Virtual Archives
Women's Air Force Service Pilot (WASP) Collection
WASP Binder: Pictures of Life and Training of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, c.1942-1944, Scrapbook # 1
Janice Christensen Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) Collection
WASP Binder: Pictures of Life and Training of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, Bernice Falk Haydu
Mickey Mouse morale: Disney on the World War II home front (Fifinella)
National Museum of the United States Airforce
WASP Creation
Overview - WASP: Breaking Ground for Today's Female USAF Pilots
USAF Museum: Women Pilots in World War II History
nbsp;– Air Force Museum virtual exhibit.
WASP Awarded Congressional Gold Medal
July 1, 2009
Flying for Freedom - The Story of WASP - Teacher Resource PDF
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Articles containing video clips
Women in the United States Army
United States Army Air Forces