Pilots of WASP

Usually posts are about one particular special woman, but today’s post is about a group of women who deserve a little remembrance and admiration. During World War II, women were not allowed to be fighter pilots, but they played a very important role in keeping the military’s planes flying just the same. Because of a shortage of pilots, the army recruited women to test new planes, transport planes across the country, and pull targets for fighter pilots to shoot at. The 1,100 women of the Women Airforce Service Pilots proved their flying skills in every kind of plane and every kind of weather. Despite well-known characters like Amelia Earhart, there were many doubts about a woman’s ability to successfully fly a plane, and the women who desired to fly for the WASPs had to come with pilot license already in hand, but they came willingly and determinedly. The job was dangerous, requiring the women to fly planes that had just been repaired or to risk a bad shot from a another pilot while towing a target for practice, and the parachutes supplied were fitted to a man, not really the most comforting back-up plan. Thirty-eight female pilots died during the short time of the WASP program. As vital as their work was to the war effort, the ladies of WASP were not afforded their due compensations for their work. The women were dismissed without ceremony or recognition when the program was ended, they were not permitted military funerals because they were considered civilians, and they received no military or veteran benefits like their male counterparts did. The airforce used the women because men were unavailable, then promptly dumped them when it seemed they might threaten male jobs. It would be a long time before the WASPs finally received the recognition they deserved, but the work they did was vital to the war effort and helped a lot of young women find adventure, strength, and self-reliance flying fighter planes in the wild blue yonder.

Today, be inspired to…Be proud of our female pilots in the military today! They’re some pretty cool chics.

If you want to read a great story about these amazing women, try Fannie Flagg’s The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion–it’s a great read.

Photo credit: wingsacrossamerica.us