Air Force·Integration / civil rights·In Memoriam
WASP — Women Airforce Service Pilots
Fifinellas
Served: 1943–1944
1,074 civilian women pilots who ferried 12,652 aircraft of 78 types — P-51s, B-26s, even B-29s — flew target-tow missions live-fire, and instructed male pilots, so combat seats freed up.
The Story
The 38 WASPs who died in service were buried at family expense — no flag, no Gold Star. Their records were classified and sealed in Air Force archives for 35 years, which is why most Americans had never heard of them. Jimmy Carter signed PL 95-202 granting veteran status in 1977.
Epitaph
“38 killed in service. 33 years to get a flag on the coffin.”
Sources
- Wikipedia — WASPen.wikipedia.org
- National WWII Museum — WASPwww.nationalww2museum.org
- NPS — WASPwww.nps.gov