"From 1942 to 1944, these women volunteers engaged in just about every aspect of military flight operations except combat-ferrying aircraft, testing planes, transporting cargo, training new pilots-so that the men would be free to fight in Europe and the Pacific. More than 25,000 women applied to the program, fewer than 2,000 were accepted, and 1,074 completed training."
"By the time the program ended, the WASPs had risked-and in some cases given-their lives to save male pilots a cumulative 60 million miles of flying. But during the war, they were classified as civil servants, no different in the eyes of the government from the female federal employees who typed memos or cooked on bases."
"After the war, they were ineligible for veterans' benefits, and kept out of both the military and commercial cockpits. For decades, the WASPs lobbied to be recognized as service members. Today, they are still largely unknown. Soon, they will all be gone."
During World War II, Sweetwater's Avenger Field in Texas served as the primary training facility for Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), a program designed to address the critical shortage of military pilots. From 1942 to 1944, over 1,000 women completed rigorous training to fly military aircraft, performing ferrying, testing, cargo transport, and pilot training missions. More than 25,000 women applied, but fewer than 2,000 were accepted. These pilots saved male aviators 60 million cumulative flying miles. Despite their significant contributions, WASPs were classified as civil servants rather than military personnel, making them ineligible for veterans' benefits after the war. They were excluded from both military and commercial aviation careers. For decades, WASPs lobbied for recognition as service members, yet remain largely unknown to the public.
#women-airforce-service-pilots-wasps #world-war-ii-aviation #military-history #women-in-aviation #veterans-recognition
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