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Volume 6; Issue 3 |
April/May 2003 |
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_____________________________________________________________________ Women In Aviation: They Would Lie, Cheat, & Steal To Fly By Mary Lou Dordan _____________________________________________________________________ |
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They lied about their age. They cheated death more times than they could keep track. They stole away to the nearest airport every time they earned enough money to pay for another flight lesson. It was impossible to overcome the determination these young women demonstrated as they reached for their dreams to fly among the surly bonds of the wild blue yonder. These women ultimately provided an invaluable service to their country during World War II when they ferried U.S. built fighters, bombers, and light aircraft on transcontinental routes to rendezvous with and hand off the aircraft to the fighter pilots from countries allied against the Axis powers in Europe. They often put themselves in harm's way as part of their patriotic duty. One of their many responsibilities was to take to the skies with a target tethered onto the fuselage of their aircraft. Not a tough duty; except for the other part of the exercise, which involved the male fighter pilots practicing their shooting skills on these airborne targets—with live ammunition. So, who were these remarkable women? They were the Women Airforce Service Pilots, commonly known as the WASPs. Accounts of these heroines of the skies have remained in the shadows of history in comparison to the narratives of their male counterparts. Five of these brave women in aviation gathered at a recent, Women in Aviation program in Kittyhawk, NC. When asked why they joined the WASPs the answer was always the same, “Because I loved to fly and my patriotism for my country made me want to do something to help the war effort.” The sisterhood that was forged by these ladies during World War II is stronger than titanium. Five of these history-making women were inseparable during the four-day Kittyhawk event. The sense of teamwork they developed back in the 1940s still remains with them today. They responded to questions from their many admirers as if they were one unit with five working parts, asking not what their country could do for them, but rather what they could do for their country. Ladies of the skies, we salute you, we admire you, and a grateful nation thanks you.
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Pictured left to
right: Lillian Yonally, Massena, NY; Caro Bosca, Springfield, OH; Scotty
Gough, Bethany Beach, DE; Ethel Finley, Rehobeth Beach, DE; Shusy
Reynolds, Connellsville, PA