Women In The Airforce: How Wasps Contributed To The Wwii War Effort

years ago when the U.S. faced a severe shortage ofhas never been accounted for. She was last seen
combat pilots to serve in World War II, a group ofpiloting a P-51D Mustang fighter from Los Angeles and
incredible women stepped up to help. These “flyis presumed lost at sea. The search for her plane is still
girls” flew light trainers, heavy four-engine bombers,ongoing.
transport aircraft and fighters — virtually everyThe WASP program grew for two years after its
type of Air Force aircraft there was — onlaunch until it was suddenly and unceremoniously
missions all around the United States to free up maleterminated in December 1944 due to increasing political
pilots needed in the war overseas. They were the firstopposition and a greater availability of male pilots. It did
women in history to fly American military aircraft andso against the strong opposition of five-star General H.
broke ground for female pilots who would later join theH. “Hap” Arnold, Chief of the Army Air Forces
ranks of the U.S. Air Force. The Women Air Forceand one of the initiators of the program, who believed
Service Pilots (WASP) program was one of the bestthe WASPs were a vital element in the war effort. At
kept secrets of World War II. WASPs are stillthe last WASP graduating class, just days before the
unknown to most Americans today, but in the summerprogram’s demise, General Arnold honored the
of 2009 they gained some hard-earned recognitionwomen with the following comments:
when President Barack Obama signed into a law a bill“You ... have shown that you can fly wingtip to
that awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal.wingtip with your brothers. If ever there was doubt in
Getting the WASP program itself off the ground wasanyone's mind that women could become skilled pilots,
a hard-won accomplishment against gender bias. Itthe WASPs dispelled that doubt. I want to stress how
took more than a decade due to initial resistance fromvaluable the whole WASP program has been for the
people in the military. In 1930 the War Departmentcountry.”
considered the idea, but chief of the U.S. Army AirIn the end, America’s first women pilots made
Corps had called the idea of women pilots “utterlytheir way home the way they had come, paying their
unfeasible”, because women were too “highown way. Even the 38 dead required a collection from
strung”. As America moved towards war, however,colleagues and family alike before their bodies could be
this view softened. In 1939 America’s mostshipped home. Although WASPs had enjoyed the
famous female pilot, Jacqueline Cochran, wrote toprivileges of officers, Congress’ refusal to
then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to propose amilitarize a women’s program meant the
women’s corps of pilots. By 1942 aaviatrices remained civil servants in the eyes of the
women’s aviator program was finally launched.military. They received neither veteran benefits nor
As many as 25,000 women volunteered for spots butrecognition from the government for their service to
recruiting requirements were even more stringent thanthe country. And because the pilots who died were
they were for men — women had to alreadykilled in military aircraft the record of their service was
have earned a pilot’s license. Ultimately, onlysealed up as Top Secret.
1,830 volunteers were accepted into the program, ofFor more than 30 years WASPs were the forgotten
which 1,074 graduated. Recruits made their way fromheroines of World War II. Then in 1976, when the Air
around the country, paying their own way, to aForce announced it was training the “first women to
municipal airport in Houston, Texas and later tofly for the military," surviving WASPs and their
Avenger Field near Sweetwater where theysupporters came forward to fight for their rightful place
underwent the same rigorous training as their malein history. In November 1977, 32 years ago this month,
counterparts.President Jimmy Carter signed a bill granting veterans
After graduation the women pilots fanned out tostatus to former WASPs. This summer President
military bases around the country. Their duties includedBarack Obama took the gesture even further by
ferrying personnel and supplies, delivering aircraft fromsigning the bill awarding WASPs the Congressional
one base to another, flight instruction, test flying allGold Medal. Congress commissions these medals as
types of planes, and towing targets for air-to-air andits “highest expression of national appreciation for
anti-aircraft gunnery practice — with livedistinguished achievements and contributions.”
ammunition. In some cases women flew aircraft thatAfter 65 long years, the service of this dedicated
some men wouldn’t fly, like the B-26 Maraudergroup of women is finally making headlines. WASPS
and the B-29 Superfortress, to demonstrate that theseplayed a special role in many Veterans Day
planes weren’t as difficult to fly as believed.celebrations around the country in 2009, and
Overall, they logged 60 million miles in flight.Americans are finally beginning to learn of their
Although they never saw combat, 38 WASPs madecountry’s wartime debt to America’s
the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in service tovery first fly-girls. Sadly, with former WASPs now
their country. Mary Elizabeth Trebing (shown in photo)reaching into their 80s and 90s, only a fraction of them
of Louisville, Colorado was one of those killed whensurvive today to accept this long-deserved accolade.
she encountered engine failure on a PT-19 training flightBut at least their service is now forever recognized,
over northern Oklahoma only 18 months into thehonored and immortalized.
program. Gertrude Tompkins is the only WASP who