During World War II, a select group of young women pilots became pioneers, heroes, and role models. They were the Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP, the first women in history trained to fly American military aircraft.

In the United States, these women pilots were trained to fly noncombat missions in order to free male pilots for combat missions. From 1942 to 1944, more than 1,000 women were trained to ferry aircraft, test planes, instruct male pilots, and tow targets for anti-aircraft artillery practice. The women came from all socioeconomic backgrounds: teachers, nurses, secretaries, factory workers, waitresses, students, housewives, debutantes, actresses, even a Ziegfield chorus girl. But they were all patriotic, strong in spirit and shared a passion for flying.

The WASP was never militarized, and those who served as WASP were considered civil service employees. There was considerable opposition to the WASP program in the press and in Congress. General Henry “Hap” Arnold, US Army Air Force commander, first supported the program, then disbanded it. The WASP was deactivated December 20, 1944, having flown about 60 million miles in operations. Thirty-eight WASP were killed, including some during training. Records of WASP were classified and sealed, so historians minimized or ignored the women pilots. In 1977 — the same year the Air Force graduated its first post-WASP women pilots — Congress granted veteran status to those who had served as WASP, and in 1979 issued official honorable discharges. (This information was gathered from the www.wingsacrossamerica.us website.)