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The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots) was a
civilian A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is war crime, illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civi ...
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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. 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 (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 (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...
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 a ...
missions and transported cargo. Thirty-eight WASP members died during these duties 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 an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...
status, and in 2009 awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
.


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 longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...
, 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 "Hap" Arnold (25 June 1886 – 15 January 1950) was an American General officers in the United States, general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army and later, General of the Ai ...
, 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 bombing, strategic air power, and proponent of an independent United States Air Force. Olds is best known today as th ...
, 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 a ...
(ATC). Arnold asked her to ferry a
bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...
to
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
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 fac ...
(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 Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
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 Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
, 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 airli ...
. 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 Ta ...
who sent the proposal onto General
Henry H. Arnold Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold (25 June 1886 – 15 January 1950) was an American General officers in the United States, general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army and later, General of the Ai ...
.
Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...
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 pi ...
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, airfield, or airstrip 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 public or private use. Aerodromes in ...
. 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 t ...
engine rating, 500 hours of
flight time Flight time or block time is an aviation term referring to the total amount of time spent piloting aircraft, and serves as the primary measure of a pilot's experience. Flight time is defined by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as ...
and experience in flying across the country. Uniforms for the WAFS were designed by Love and consisted of a gray
gabardine Gabardine Gabardine is a durable twill worsted wool. It is a tightly woven waterproof fabric and is used to make outerwear and various other garments, such as suit (clothing), suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, and windbreakers. Thomas Bur ...
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 (color), 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 rela ...
flight coveralls, a
parachute A parachute is a device designed to slow an object's descent through an atmosphere by creating Drag (physics), drag or aerodynamic Lift (force), lift. It is primarily used to safely support people exiting aircraft at height, but also serves va ...
,
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 ja ...
sporting the ATC patch. Headquarters for WAFS was established at the new (May 1943) New Castle Army Air Base (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 describes an accommodation which, in exchange for money, labour or other recompense, a person is provided with a place to live in addition to meals. It commonly occurs as a fee at higher educational institutions, such as colleges ...
. 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 Airforce Service Pilots, Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, later amalgamated into the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Ea ...
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 ...
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 drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...
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 and fictional characters *Mitchell (surname), including lists of both people and fictional characters *Mitchell (given name), lists of people and fictional characters Places Australia * Mitchell, Australian Ca ...
. The original squadron of 28 was reduced to 27 when Pat Rhonie left on December 31 after disagreeing with Colonel Baker. The WAFS 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. Fo ...
. 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 founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of th ...
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 coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
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. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, and confronted General Arnold 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 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 (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 suit A zoot suit (occasionally spelled zuit suit) is a men's Suit (clothing), suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, wikt:pegged pants, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. It is most notable for its ...
s"), 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 ...
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") is an adverse reaction of Substance intoxication, intoxication that causes a state of vertigo and nausea, causing one to feel as if "spinning out of control", especially when lying down. It is most commonly as ...
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 contemp ...
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 an American 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, 1941, ...
, 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 Reci ...
, was ferrying a BT-13 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 taxiing, takeoff or landing. For aircraft, it is generally needed for all three of these. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, s ...
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, 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 mas ...
. Fifinella was conceived by
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...
and drawn by
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
, 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 WASP pilots were white, they were not exclusively so. Two
Chinese Americans Chinese Americans are Americans of Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans have ancestors from mainland China, Hong Kong ...
,
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 () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
descent, Verneda Rodriguez and Frances Dias, 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). Early life Rexroat was born in Argonia, Kansas, to a Euro-American father and an Oglala mother ...
completed the training. Rexroat was a member of the
Oglala Sioux The Oglala (pronounced , meaning 'to scatter one's own' in Lakota) 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 on the P ...
tribe from the
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota, with a small portion extending into Nebraska. Originally included within the territory of the ...
in
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, 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 Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
. While the total number of black women applicants for WASP training is unknown, several
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
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 A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree from the
Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU; formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute) is a Private university, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It was f ...
. 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 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of th ...
. 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. The second group was The Guinea Pigs which were Jacqueline Cochran's first class of women pilots for the Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD). The Guinea Pigs started training at the Houston Municipal Airport (now William P. Hobby Airport) 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 is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...
. Unlike the WAFS, the women that reported to
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
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, based o ...
, 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. Its population was 10,622 at the 2020 census. History The town's name "Sweetwater" is the ...
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 issued by the civil aviation authority of each country, which must establish that the holder has met minimum knowledge and experience before issui ...
, but was retrained to fly the Army way by the U.S. Army Air Forces at
Avenger Field Avenger Field is a List of airports in Texas, Texas airport in Nolan County, Texas, Nolan County, three miles west of Sweetwater, Texas, Sweetwater. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 FAA airport categories, called ...
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 Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center (disambiguation), center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa ...
. 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. The original WAFS were organized specifically to ferry airplanes and free male pilots, around 900 in all, for combat roles. A WASP would go to the factory, test fly the airplane and then deliver it. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, women pilots flew 80 percent of all ferrying missions. 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 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 United States Marine Corps ...
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 also an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH3(CH2)6CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the location of branching in the carbon chain. One of these isomers ...
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, 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 a city in and the county seat of Otero County, New Mexico, 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 (New Mexico), Sac ...
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 motion, movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navig ...
, 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 ...
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 is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
by Representative John Costello. Both Cochran and Arnold desired a separate corps headed by a woman colonel (similar to the WAC,
WAVES United States Naval Reserve (Women's Reserve), better known as the WAVES (for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), was the women's branch of the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. It was established on July 21, 1942, ...
,
SPARS SPARS was the authorized nickname for the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Women's Reserve. The nickname was derived from the USCG's motto, "—"Always Ready" (''SPAR''). The Women's Reserve was established by law in November 1942 during Wor ...
, and the Marine Corps Women's Reserve 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 December 1943, the G-1 division of the General Staff decided that the WASPs should be taken into the existing WAC organization and therefore disapproved the changes made by the Air Staff. This decision was concured in by G-3. 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 continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'', The ''
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'' and the ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' 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 the ...
." 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 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 4, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang (), was a Chinese political figure and socialite. The youngest of the Soong sisters, she married Chiang Kai-shek and played a prom ...
and volunteered for the
Chinese Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...
, who were still fighting against Japan. and The
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
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 major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...
, 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 ( Takemoto; , December 6, 1927 – September 28, 2002) was an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Hawaii who served in the United States House of Representatives for 24 years as a member of the Democratic ...
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 lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...
(VA), the
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
and the
Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States Armed Forces, United States war veterans who fought in wars, Military campaign, campaig ...
(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 (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 members of the mili ...
. 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. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
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 was 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. Histo ...
. Those who served for more than one year were also awarded American Theater Ribbon/
American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal was 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 per ...
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 the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...
. 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 Irene Kinne Englund died on February 15, 2002, the family was shocked to learn that although she could be inurned at Arlington as the spouse of a Navy Veteran, she was denied that rite under her own status as a WASP. Although the 1977 statue allowed WASPs and other Active Duty Designees inurnment rites, they were denied honors and a flag. After a series of highly visible editorials appearing in the Washington Post, the Army officials overseeing the policy, ruled that WASPs inurned at Arlington were entitled to military honors. On June 14, 2002, Irene Kinne Englund became the first WASP to be inurned with military honors. Nine other members of the WASPs were present at the ceremony which featured a rifle team, a bugler, and a flag presentation to the Englund family. When WASP Elaine Harmon died on April 21, 2015, her request to have her ashes interred at Arlington was denied. Another WASP, Florence Shutsy-Reynolds, 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 (United States), Democratic Party, she also served i ...
(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 represented Arizona in both chambers of Congress between 2015 and 2020. She is to date the last Republican to serve Arizona in the U.S. Senate ...
(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 The National WASP World War II Museum is an aviation museum located at the Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas focused on Women Airforce Service Pilots. History The museum was established in 2003 by Deanie Bishop Parrish and her daughter Nancy ...
'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 an American biplane formerly used as a military Trainer (aircraft), trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary o ...
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, Royal Air Force, RAF and Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF during World War II. Design ...
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 th ...
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 The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California. It is located in Balboa Park (San Diego), Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building (San Diego), Ford Building, which is li ...
. 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: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
and the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
awarded the WASP the
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
. 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 was the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011 an ...
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 New ...
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 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 Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia. It holds numerous exhibits, ...
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 (: scarves or scarfs) is a long piece of fabric that is worn on or around the neck, shoulders, or head. A scarf is used for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or to show support for a sports club or team. ...
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 pilot and aviator. She was also part of the Mercury 13, a group of women who underwent physiological screening tests at the same time as the o ...
,
Desert Storm , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
pilot Kelly Hamilton, astronaut
Eileen Collins Eileen Marie Collins (born 19 November 1956) is an American retired NASA astronaut and Air Force colonel. A flight instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a Space Shuttle missio ...
, 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 The United States of Americ ...
, 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 or freight (cargo). Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in ...
pilot in 1976. Colonel
Kimberly Olsen Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia Queensland * Kimberley, Queensland, a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas South Australia * County of Kimberley, a cadastral unit in South Australia Tas ...
"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 did not 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 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, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...
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 when Menstruation, menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of the Human reproduction, reproductive stage for the female human. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 5 ...
." 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 makes pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eg ...
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 were no 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

* Kate Lee Harris Adams *
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 ser ...
(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 Jean Landis (September 28, 1918 – December 13, 2022) was an American aviator. Landis was born in El Cajon, California, on September 28, 1918. She received her bachelor's degree in physical education from San Diego State University in 1940 and he ...
(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 wom ...
* Rosa Charlyne Creger *
Nancy Batson Crews Nancy Batson Crews (1920-2001) was one of the original women to participate in the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) during World War II. Personal life Crews was born to Stephen and Ruth Batson in 1920 and she was one of four childr ...
*
Selma Cronan Selma Kantor Cronan (May 6, 1913 – August 5, 2002) was an American aviator. She was part of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II, and after the war, she continued to fly. She was especially known for competing in air r ...
* Nancye Ruth Lowe Crout, (Class 43-W-4), died January 21, 2016. *
Iris Cummings Iris Cummings (December 21, 1920 – January 24, 2025), also known by her married name Iris Critchell, was an American aviator and competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. After an a ...
* Jeanne P. d'Ambly – member of the 43-W-5 class * Mildred Inks Davidson Dalrymple (Class 44-W-4) * Dorothy Hilliard Davis, campaigned to get women pilots recognition as military veterans. *
Cornelia Fort Cornelia Clark Fort (February 5, 1919 – March 21, 1943) was an American 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, 1941, ...
 – One of the original WAFS. Fort's experience included evading attacking
IJNAS The (IJNAS) 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 its first aircraft in ...
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 2,471 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Abilene metropolitan area. Geography Merkel is located 17 miles west of Abilene near Interstate 20. The town has a total ...
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 Airforce Service Pilots, Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, later amalgamated into the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Ea ...
*
Ann Warren Griffith Ann Warren Griffith (June 3, 1918 - May 11, 1983) was an American writer of humorous essays and science fiction. Early life Ann Gilman Warren was born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1911 or 1918 (sources vary on this date). She attended Barnard Coll ...
, writer, wrote about her WASP experiences in ''The New Yorker'' * Betty Haas Pfister * Lois Hailey * Elaine D. Harmon, first WASP aviator interred at
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...
* Sara Payne Hayden * Bernice Falk Haydu *
Gloria Heath Gloria Heath (May 7, 1922 – December 16, 2017) was an American flight safety pioneer who was a founding member of the Flight Safety Foundation and served as the head of the International Academy of Astronautics Space Safety Committee. Early li ...
*
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, Illin ...
* 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 * Evelyn Greenblatt Howren * Celia Hunter *
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" Hurlbu ...
 – 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 that she joined to raise money to build a new racing airplane. * Janet Hutchinson – of the Flying Hutchinsons, joined at age 18. * Teresa James * 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 cent ...
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 academies, United States service academy in Air Force Academy, Colorado, Air Force Academy Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs. I ...
Honor Court, Colorado Springs, painted official portrait of
Janet Reno Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer and public official who served as the 78th United States Attorney General, United States attorney general from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. A member of ...
for US Department of Justice * Doris Lockness * 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 establi ...
during World War II. Following the war, medals were awarded to other WASP members. * Grace Elizabeth "Betty" Ashwell Lotowycz 44-W-7 * Nancy Love * Elizabeth Magid  – author of the poem ''Celestial Flight'' that became a staple of all WASP funerals * 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 * Annabelle Craft Moss – Moss flew the AT-6 Trainer, and was responsible for transporting officers from base to base. * Anne Noggle – 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 *
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 (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 *
Mabel Rawlinson Mabel Virginia Rawlinson (19 March 1917August 23, 1943) served with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II as one of 1,102 women to earn Silver Wings. When she died in an airplane crash during advanced night training, she ...
*
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 Diving (sport), diver. She was the United States national champion in multi ...
*
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). Early life Rexroat was born in Argonia, Kansas, to a Euro-American father and an Oglala mother ...
, An
Oglala Sioux The Oglala (pronounced , meaning 'to scatter one's own' in Lakota) 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 on the P ...
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 th ...
* Margaret Ringenberg * Lorraine Rodgers *
Dawn Seymour Dawn Seymour (July 1, 1917 - July 18, 2017) was an American pilot and member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. She would later lobby for military status for the Women Airforce Service Pilots as well as encourage recognitio ...
* Evelyn Sharp – In 1938, Evelyn Sharp was the youngest person in the United States to receive a commercial pilot license. * Florence Shutsy-Reynolds (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 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 between Point Dume, in ...
were unsuccessful. * Shirley Slade, born in Chicago 1921. On the cover of
Life (magazine) ''Life'' (stylized as ''LIFE'') is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, ''Life'' has irregularly publi ...
, 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, graduate of class 43-W-1. * Elizabeth Strohfus – flew
Martin B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in ...
s 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 ...
* Alta Corbett Thomas * Mildred Darlene "Micky" Tuttle Axton * Mary Coon Walters * Florene Miller Watson – one of the first WAFS volunteers. *
Betty Jane Williams Betty Jane Williams (1919 – December 8, 2008) was an American Aircraft pilot, aviator. She worked in various fields in the aviation industry throughout her life and became a Lieutenant colonel, Lieutenant Colonel by the time she retired from the ...
– went on to become a Lt Colonel in her later military career. * Mary E. Williamson (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 ...
* 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 supernatural romantic drama film directed by Victor Fleming. The film was produced by Everett Riskin and stars Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne and Van Johnson. The screenplay, written by Dalton Trumbo and Fre ...
'', Pete Sandidge (
Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the ...
) 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 Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during Classical Hollywood cinema, the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she perf ...
), 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 Ger ...
'' is a 1944 film starring
Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela 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 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...
. * 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 superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
'' 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 ''Cold Case'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series. It ran on CBS from September 28, 2003, to May 2, 2010. The series revolved around a fictionalized Philadelphia Police Department division that specializes in invest ...
'' features the investigators looking for the murderer of a WASP, after her plane is found in modern-day Philadelphia. * "Flygirl" by Sherri L. Smith, a 2009 YA novel about a young Black woman who passes as white to join the WASPs. * 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, the character first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleagu ...
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 Award for Best Novel, Hugo and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula Award-winning 2018 science fiction novel ''The Calculating Stars'' by Mary Robinette Kowal depicts an alternative history of the 1950s space race where former WASP pilots become the first female astronauts. * Fannie Flagg'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'', 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 China-Burma-India Theater, Burma and then the Pacific Ocean Theater of World War II, Pacific as cover for secret duties as an agent with the wartime intelligence service, the Office of Strategic Services, OSS. * Derrick Wang's Musical theatre, musical Opera, drama ''Fearless'', inspired by the life of WASP
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 ...
, receives its world premiere at Opera Delaware in 2025.


See also

* Betsy Ross Air Corps * Night Witches (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 fac ...
(ATA – British) * Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division (RCAFWD) * Women Airforce Service Pilots Badge * Women in the Air Force (WAF) * Women's Army Corps (WAC) * Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) The US Navy's WWII era program. * Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF – British) * Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) * Women in aviation * Timeline of women in aviation


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.

* [https://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
 – 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


The Museum of Flight Digital Collections


Carol (Nicholson) Lewis Collection

Dora Jean (Dougherty) Strother WASP Photographs Collection

Jean (Taylor) Howard WASP Collection

Martha L. (Smith) Bullock Collection

Mary "Pat" (Hiller) Call WASP Collection

Nordhoff and Dunnam Families Collection
- Series IV: Nancy Nordhoff Dunnam, WASP
[WASP newsletter
/nowiki>]
The Avenger

2563 AAF Base Unit : 44-W-9
class yearbook
318th A.A.F.F.T.D. class of 43-W-4 and 43-W-5
class yearbook {{Authority control Women Airforce Service Pilots, Articles containing video clips Women in the United States Army United States Army Air Forces Aircraft ferrying